In This Life Or The Next
by BellaLeigh1
Summary: My way of making the finale actually make sense, followed by a whole lot of fluff of those that have died just hanging out together in the afterlife.
1. A Change In Plans

"Niklaus, we need to talk."

"And just what is it that you want to talk about, brother?"

Elijah glanced at Caroline, for one second thinking that perhaps this conversation should be taken somewhere else. But, no. Caroline probably knew the whole plan. And just might be willing to help him change that plan. "A change in your plan. Specifically, that I intend to be the one the twins put the Hollow into, not you."

"Wait. What? Dad? You said you were going to put it into something safe. You never said anything about putting it into you. What were you going to do, then? How was that going to help?"

Well, maybe not the best way to get Hope involved, but she did have the key to getting Niklaus to agree to doing things his way. "Please tell me that you weren't planning on doing this without even telling her. Tell me you at least intended to say goodbye."

"Say goodbye? Dad? Seriously, what is he talking about?"

The look Niklaus was giving him had Elijah hoping that he didn't have the white oak stake with him. "It's nothing, Hope. Don't worry about it."

"Seriously, Klaus? You're going to stand here and lie to her face? And here I was, thinking you had changed."

Elijah shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Because we aren't doing this his way. We're doing it mine. You are not going to orphan that girl, Niklaus. She just got you back. And she just lost her mother. She needs you." Both Hope and Niklaus looked ready to speak, but Elijah was through listening. "Hope, I need you to tell your father what you told me. Tell him the message your mother gave you to give to me."

"It was just a hallucination, Uncle Elijah. Don't you dare try to use me hallucinating seeing my mom while I was passed out as some excuse. Neither one of you are dying, tonight. We'll figure something else out. There has to be something we can put the Hollow into, at least temporarily to get me through tonight. Nobody needs to die for me."

"If only that were true. Unfortunately, we have exhausted all other options. There is no other way. Now, will you please do what I asked, and tell your father what your mother said. I promise that there is a reason I'm asking for that, and I will explain in a minute. I'm not using this as an excuse."

Hope didn't look convinced, but she finally sighed and turned to Niklaus. "She told me to tell Uncle Elijah that she's still waiting for that dance. I don't pretend to understand it. I guess it was just a way for my subconscious to tell me it was time to forgive him because that's what Mom would want. Or something. Why a dance, I don't know." She actually smiled, then. "Unless it's because people tend to dance at weddings, and I always figured they would…" She shrugged. "Doesn't matter. It's stupid."

Elijah shook his head and took the letter Hayley had written him and never sent out of his pocket and handed it to Niklaus. "It isn't stupid. And it wasn't a hallucination. Your mother came to see me, about five years ago. She told me her name was Andrea. And we spent the day together. Including sharing one dance. As we were saying goodbye, I said something about seeing her in the next life. She told me that if we're destined to meet in another life, to know that she'd be waiting for another dance."

"Right. Whatever. I'm calling bullshit."

"Hope."

"You don't get to stand here and use my own mind against me. You don't get to take advantage of me wanting my mom and hallucinating…"

"Hope!"

She whirled around. "What?!"

Niklaus handed her the letter. "It isn't bullshit. And that wasn't a hallucination. You really almost died. We almost lost you." He glared at Elijah. "Did you consider that implication of this?"

"Of course I did. But, she didn't die. Hayley sent her back. But, have you considered that there was more than one meaning to that message?"

It was Caroline that answered. "It wasn't just to let you know that she forgives you, was it? You think it was really her way of telling you…" Her voice broke a bit. "You think she was telling you it's time to come home?"

His eyes were burning as he tried to hold back tears. "I could have saved her. I stood there, and I let her die. I watched her burn. And I did nothing. I can't take that back. But, I can make it right." He locked eyes with Hope. "I can't give you your mother back. But I'll be damned if I'm going to stand here and watch your father die, too. I can do that much for you."

She walked up and hugged him. "But, not tonight. Do what you need to do to get me through this. But, give the others a chance to say goodbye. They all deserve that. And so do you."

Then there was another hand on his back. "I'll tell the girls there's been a change in plans."

 **~In This Life Or The Next~**

Klaus followed Caroline when she turned and walked away. Once they were out of even Elijah's earshot, he grabbed her arm, making her turn to face him. "You'll tell the girls there's been a change in plans? Just like that? Do I not get a vote, here?"

She yanked her arm out of his grasp, but didn't turn away. "No, Klaus. You don't get a vote. Elijah's right. Hope needs you. Now more than ever. She just lost her mother. And she just got you back."

"We all just got Elijah back, too. He'd be a better father figure to her than I would, anyway."

She just stared at him for a minute and then reached out and put a hand on his cheek. "Is that really what you think? What? That she would be better off without you? Trust me, she wouldn't be."

He pulled away from her. Her touch was the last thing he needed, right now. "Elijah has spent a thousand years cleaning up my messes. That ends tonight. He'll finally be free to live his own life. How do I just stand by and let him throw that away?" And then he remembered that he was supposed to be angry at her. "And how could you just go along with it like that?"

"Because I heard what he didn't say. I equated his death with going home. And he didn't say anything. He isn't throwing anything away. Quite the opposite. For once in his life, he is grabbing what he wants. For once in his life, he isn't thinking about you, or any of your siblings. Oh, he'll pretty it up by saying it's because Hope needs you. But really, it's because he needs Hayley. He is never going to forgive himself for her death. Even though he knows that she's already forgiven him."

He clenched his eyes closed. "And what am I supposed to do, then?"

"You are supposed to, for once in your life, be the selfless one. You are going to let him go. And you're going to let him think that you believe that keeping you and Hope together is his only reason. And then you are going to take the gift of time that he's giving you, and you are going to become the father that he always hoped you would be."

"And if I can't? If I can't just watch my brother die?"

"You were fully prepared to ask him to do exactly that, Klaus." She spoke quietly, calmly. And yet, each word was an accusation. A reminder that sometimes living was harder, and more of a sacrifice, than dying.

Leave it to Caroline to throw that in his face. It wasn't an answer to his question. And yet, it was. She was right. He thought about Elijah's reaction to getting his memories back, to remembering Hayley. In a thousand years, no other loss had affected him like hers did.

Caroline was right. Elijah was throwing nothing away. He had latched onto Hope's message like a lifeline. And there was only one thing Klaus could do. For once in his life he had to put Elijah first. He had to let him go. "Tell…" He faltered for a minute. Took a deep breath. "Tell your girls there's been a change in plans."


	2. Running Out Of Time

_**Thank you everyone who has favorited or followed this story, or left reviews. It is greatly appreciated.**_

 _ **When the Hollow affects Elijah more than it should, the Mikaelsons are left trying to find a way to buy him enough time for them to say goodbye.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 2 - Running Out Of Time**

Elijah stood inside the circle, listening to the twins chanting. He should be paying more attention, since what they were chanting was essentially his funeral dirge. But, there was another sound that had his attention. A sound that couldn't help but bring a smile to his lips. Wolves howling. Two of them. Niklaus had also transitioned to share this night with his daughter. The only thing that could have made it better was if there had been a third howl. As much as it would have hurt her to see it happen, Hayley would have loved to run in the woods with Hope.

Which was the thought that wiped the smile off his face. Hayley would never run through these woods again. Would never share that experience with her daughter. Which was why he was doing this. There were a great many things that Hayley would never do, now. And that was largely his fault. Though his guilt was only part of it. Not even the largest part, if he was being honest with himself.

In truth, the biggest part was that "in the next life" turned out to not be so metaphorical as they had thought, at the time. And she was waiting for him. He still owed her a dance. And maybe, maybe in a world where there wasn't somebody trying to kill them or their family every five minutes, a world where they would actually have a chance to just breathe, they could finally make a life together. Did it actually count as a life, if you were dead by every definition of the word? Did it really matter what they called it?

"Are you ready, Elijah?"

He blinked. There was now a glowing mass of energy floating in front of him. Ironic that it was actually rather pretty. But, he didn't have time for that. Alaric and Caroline were both standing there, watching him. And Caroline really should be inside. He nodded. "I'm ready."

"Now, girls!"

And then it slammed into him. This was not like when Vincent had divided the Hollow up. Getting the full force of it was very different from only getting a quarter. He fought against the urge to scream. Fought and lost. A moment later, the sounds in the forest changed. First one, and then both wolves were definitely getting closer. Elijah locked eyes with Caroline, who had to hear that, too. "Get inside. All of you. Hope can't hurt me. Not really." He turned to look at the twins. "You did good, girls. Thank you. You just saved Hope's life." And then at Alaric. "The entire Mikaelson family is forever in your debt. I'm sure Caroline will have no problem reminding Niklaus of that if you ever need to call it in. Thank you. Now go!"

Caroline had already vamp-sped out of there. Not only did he not blame her, he was oddly touched at the trust she was showing him. Alaric would be no match for a werewolf in wolf form, and even less of one against a hybrid. Which meant that Caroline was trusting Elijah to protect her girls if Hope still wasn't quite Hope when she arrived. He watched Alaric grab the girls' hands and run into the house, and then he turned back to the forest to wait for his brother and his niece to arrive.

 **~In This Life Or The Next~**

At Elijah's scream of pain, Klaus didn't think. He just turned and ran towards where the sound had come from. What he hadn't been expecting was for Hope to follow him. Granted, the act of transitioning should have triggered her hybrid abilities, allowing her to change back whenever she wanted. But still, Caroline was over there. And if Hope was not in full control when she got there… _Sorry, my littlest wolf. I'll run with you another night._ He changed back into human form and ran at full vampire speed to the school.

He exited the woods to be greeted by a smirking Elijah. "Honestly, Niklaus. And what if the twins were still here?" He reached down and picked up a pair of pants that were laying at his feet and tossed them to Klaus before also tossing a bundle of clothing into the woods. "You bursting out of the woods stark naked could have scarred them for life."

Klaus rolled his eyes as he put his pants on. "Sorry for thinking that seeing a naked man would be somewhat less traumatic than watching their mother be mauled to death by a werewolf. I had to get here before Hope did. Just in case."

"Caroline and I both heard when you started running this way. She ran inside, and Alaric took care of the girls."

A rustling in the forest told them that Hope was back. A few minutes later, she walked into the clearing, wearing the clothes Elijah had thrown to her. "Is it done? I mean, obviously the Hollow isn't in me, anymore, but…"

"It's done. So, we should probably get home. I don't know how much time I have. How did that whispering not drive you completely mad?"

Hope's answer was to snap her fingers, and turn to Klaus as Elijah fell over. "This is bad. The voices shouldn't have started, yet. I think we need Aunt Freya and Vincent. We need to get him home. Now."

Klaus just nodded an picked Elijah up. "Can you tell Caroline?"

"I'll write her a note on the way. I can send it to her by magic."

"Then let's go. And, while you're explaining us leaving without saying goodbye to Caroline, you can also let the others know we're on our way."

 **~In This Life Or The Next~**

Klaus stared at the black lines running up Elijah's arm and listened to Freya talking about a matter of hours in utter disbelief. "I don't understand. I thought that thing fed on anger and hatred? Elijah is the calmest of all of us. I could see it affecting me this quickly, but he should have more time."

It was Hope that answered. "When I was venting my grief on him… I was tearing him to shreds with magic. He just stood there and took it. Do you know what he said when I told him that I hated him?" She didn't wait for a response. "He said that he hates him, too." When everybody still was just looking at her in confusion, she sighed. "Anger and hatred directed at himself is still anger and hatred. It's feeding on that. Until he finds someone else to share the blame, and he lashes out."

"Hope's right. I told you that last night. Elijah is never going to forgive himself for his role in Hayley's death. So, since the whole point of him coming back here was to give himself a chance to say goodbye, I suggest you start working on a way to buy him the time to do that."

"What are you doing here?" In truth, he was glad to see her. But genuinely had no idea what could have made her come. She was hardly close to Elijah, to want to say goodbye to him.

Caroline didn't answer. Instead, another voice spoke up. "I called her and asked her to pick me up from the airport. And pointed out that the rest of the Mikaelsons had significant others to turn to, tonight. But, you and Hope only had each other."

"Love, what…" Kol was silenced by a finger placed on his lips.

"There may not be much love lost between me and Elijah, but he's still your brother. What kind of wife would I be if I left you to face this alone?"

Klaus couldn't help but smile at that. Davina may only be a Mikaelson by marriage, but she was still a Mikaelson. And when the chips were down and the family needed her, she still came running. First to try to save Hope, and now to help Kol say goodbye to Elijah. She had even happily danced at Freya's wedding. "You did good, brother. That girl is definitely a keeper." It was a whisper that only the other vampires would hear, but he was rewarded with a smile from Kol.

"Thank you, Caroline. Both for bringing Davina and especially for staying, yourself. Maybe now Hope won't feel like she has to be strong for me. Or at least she'll be willing to turn to you for the comfort she won't ask me for." Yes, he was talking about his daughter like she wasn't there, which would probably piss her off. But, it needed to be said.

"We should probably go upstairs. Start figuring out what we're going to do to try to buy Elijah more time."

There was one obvious solution that everyone seemed to be missing. But, if he brought it up in front of Elijah, it would be his luck that that would be the moment his brother woke up. And he would not be at all happy about this idea.


	3. An Angel and a Devil

_This starts right after chapter 2 ends. Elijah is hallucinating, and when he escapes into the city, the others need to find him before he goes on a rampage._

 _My apologies for the delay in getting this out, life got kind of crazy for a while._

 _As always, thank you for the likes and comments, and really just for reading. I appreciate each and every one of you._

 **~In This Life Or The Next~**

He woke up to the sound of his siblings talking about buying him more time. He wasn't sure what that actually meant. But, it didn't really matter. Especially not once he was left alone.

He waited until he knew they were all upstairs before opening his eyes. He didn't want them to know that he was awake. Though, he wasn't really sure why that was. He was supposed to be saying goodbye. That was why he hadn't just staked himself at the school as soon as the twins had transferred the Hollow into him. Because he had promised Hope that he would say goodbye.

"Yes, Elijah. Say goodbye. Try to apologize for all the wrong you've done. For being so instrumental in taking Hope's mother from her. For your selfishness, now. Go on. Go talk to them about how willing you are to throw the past thousand years with them away to follow a woman you've known less than a decade into death."

"This isn't about Hayley, Mother. Then again, how could I possibly expect you to understand? It's not like you ever really loved anyone, including your own children." Which wasn't really fair. She had sacrificed herself for them, in the end.

"Don't be stupid. Of course I loved you."

"Really? Because loving mothers generally don't continually try to murder their children."

"I was trying to undo the mistake I made by turning you into vampires against your wills. I was trying to make things up to you."

"By once again not asking us what we wanted? Just stop. You're only making things worse for yourself."

"You know that Hope will also not have a choice, right? Or have you not considered the implications of her having turned Hayley, as well as your brother's new hybrid army? When she dies, she will turn. Whether she wants to, or not."

Yes, he had considered that. Many times over the years. He sometimes wondered if Niklaus had considered it. And now, at fifteen, Hope was old enough to also realize the implications. There was no way for her to not have some of her own blood in her system when she died. She would turn. The only question was whether she would let herself complete the transition - or if she would choose to instead die in agony.

"You could spare her that, you know. Rip her heart out. It's the only way to be sure."

He should argue that point with her. Part of him knew that. But, that part was being quickly drowned out.

"You know why Haley was even in that house, right? Because Hope kidnapped her and then Roman got into her head to find out where Hayley was being held so that Gretchen could kidnap her from Hope. Hayley would still be alive if Hope hadn't thrown a temper tantrum and decided to trick Niklaus into coming back home."

"No! Elijah, don't you dare listen to her! It wasn't Hope's fault. She just wanted to see her dad. It wasn't her fault."

That voice. That was the voice that he had missed for longer than he had realized. "Hayley. I don't know what to do. Help me."

"Get out of here. Far away. Say your goodbyes on the phone. Just run. They'll understand. You think any of them want to watch you die, anyway? Run away, Elijah. For once in your life, just run away."

He yanked at the chains holding him and part of him was surprised when they snapped. Freya knew exactly what she would be holding, here. You would think that she would have strengthened them with magic. If anyone could hold even an Original vampire, it was a Mikaelson witch. He shook his head and then stalked out of the cave.

They were talking about him. He could hear them as he made his way through the house. How dare they? How dare they discuss him and what to do with him like he had no right to an opinion on the matter?

"Yes. How dare they? You could kill all of them, you know. Take that white oak stake of Niklaus's and break it into three pieces. Rip Freya's and Hope's hearts out. Marcel may get you, in the end, but isn't that what you want, anyway?"

He turned towards the voices. Started walking closer to them.

"Elijah, no!" And then it wasn't just her voice. She was there, standing in front of him. Hayley. The love of his life. And the woman he had calmly stood by and watched burn. He started shaking. "Run, Elijah. I'm here. I'll come with you. But we have to go. We have to go, now."

"Yes, we have to go." He turned around and walked out of the house.

 **~In This Life Or The Next~**

"I am telling you, Freya, that it's the best way."

"And I am telling you that it's too risky."

"Guys, we have a problem."

"Tell me what the risk is. Explain this to me."

"Guys."

"What if we can't undo it?"

The next thing Klaus knew he was laying on the floor, with his daughter standing over him looking pissed. "Now then. As I was saying. We have a problem. Uncle Elijah isn't in the cave, anymore. So, really, this argument needs to wait. Because at the moment, it's pretty pointless. Can't do a whole hell of a lot about the Hollow and whatever it may be saying to him if we don't know where he is, can we?"

And then they were all on their feet. "All right. Let's go find him. Marcel, you still have the most pull with the other vampires in the city. Keelin, if you can head to the bayou and see about getting some of the wolves to help us. The rest of us will just start looking. Freya…"

"I'll try scrying for him."

"Aunt Keelin, you're the most vulnerable of us. I can talk to the wolves if you want to stay here with Aunt Freya, where it's safe."

Klaus couldn't help but smile when his sister-in-law shook her head. "I may be married to a Mikaelson, but I'm still a normal werewolf. I hate to say it, but not everyone trusts you. Besides, I'm no more vulnerable than they are. How can I ask them to take a risk for my family that I'm not willing to take, myself? I'll talk to them. You would be more useful either helping Freya scry or out there looking for him with the others."

Hope nodded and then they all scattered.

He never realized just how big New Orleans really was until he had to find his brother while in the middle of yet another festival that seemed to exist only here. Seriously, was there any day of the year that the entire city wasn't throwing a party for some reason or other?

With every passing minute, he grew more impatient. Freya should have texted them with Elijah's location, by now. Elijah would be dead by the end of the day. And none of them had had a chance to say goodbye, yet. And then he found him.

The sight that greeted him when he turned the corner into the alley looked more like something that he would be responsible for himself than something to expect from Elijah. There had been a massacre. Bodies strewn around like the cast aside toys of a spoiled toddler. Some simply with broken necks, but the majority had their own hearts laying on the pavement next to them.

But, what stopped Klaus's heart, was the sight of Hope pinned to the wall, Elijah's hand around her throat. Klaus took a step towards them, trying to find a balance between getting there in time to save his daughter, without startling his brother and making the situation worse.

But then Hope shook her head. It could have been her simply protesting what was happening to her. Except she wasn't looking at Elijah. Her eyes were locked on Klaus's. It was him she was saying no to. "Uncle Elijah, let go. Please, let me go. For mom. Or are you prepared to go to her with my blood on your hands?"

Elijah jolted at that, looking like he had been kicked. "You're cursed, you know. You were born cursed. You will have no more choice than I did. I saw you as my family's salvation. I never stopped to consider what your fate would be." He turned his head, and suddenly was yelling at something only he could see. "Mother, just shut up! How many times do I have to kill you before you just shut up?"

Which, explained the bodies. Klaus was actually surprised that when ripping the hearts out didn't work, Elijah hadn't started ripping heads off of shoulders. Or was it simply a matter of Hope walking in before he could reach that point?

"I know. I'm not a child, Uncle Elijah. You think it never occurred to me? You think I don't know what's going to happen when I die? Because I know. And it's okay. It's more than okay. I want it. I'm in no hurry. Aunt Rebekah and I do have that in common. I'd like to have a family. But, sometime in my thirties, I'll do something quick and painless. I don't see it as a curse. I get to live forever. The diet seems less than fun, right now, but I have a feeling my opinion on that will change when I do. It's going to be okay."

Elijah dropped his hands.

And the instant he did, Hope snapped her fingers. "Call Marcel to get this cleaned up. And then we need to get him back to the compound before he wakes up. And then, as much as I don't like it, Aunt Freya and I will put part of the Hollow into you so he can say his goodbyes. We don't dare let him wake up, otherwise. I don't know if I could talk him down from the ledge a second time."

He could only stare at her. "Hope. What he said to you, about you not having a choice. What you said to him…"

"It doesn't really matter, does it? Because he's right. I won't have a choice. In the end, the only choice I have is how I'm going to live my life in the meantime. I can either spend my time as a human dreading it, or I can accept it. I'm choosing to accept it. Because I refuse to live in fear." She turned around. "You need to carry him. He's a bit heavy for me." And with that she stalked out of the alley, leaving Klaus no choice but to pick Elijah up and follow her.


	4. Saying Goodbye Pt 1 - Klaus

_This picks up shortly after the last chapter ends. Elijah begins saying his goodbyes, starting with Klaus, who hasn't left his side since bringing him home._

 _As always, thank you for the follow, favorites, likes, comments, and just for reading it. I greatly appreciate it._

 **~In This Life Or The Next~**

Elijah woke up in his own bed, with his brother staring rather anxiously at him from across the room. Something was wrong, though. Something missing. It took him a minute to realize what it was. The voices were gone. Which could only mean that the Hollow was gone. His blood ran cold as the implications of that hit him.

"What did you do?"

"Freya and Hope put part of the Hollow into me, temporarily. To give you a chance to say goodbye."

Elijah shook his head. "Niklaus, no. Have you gone mad? What was the point of putting the Hollow into me, if you ended up taking part of it, anyway?"

Niklaus held up his hand. "I said that it was temporary. We needed to buy you time. Otherwise, they would have been afraid to let you wake up after the last time. It was Hope's idea, really."

Well, that wasn't at all ominous. "What did I do?"

Niklaus looked away. "It doesn't matter. We all know that you weren't in your right mind. Hope was even the one who tried to explain it to us. We didn't listen to her. Didn't want to admit that our stoic Elijah was truly capable of that kind of hatred. Not even directed at himself. You proved us quite wrong. And that's all you need to know."

"Niklaus. Answer me. What did I do?" It had to have been bad for his brother to not even be able to look him in the eye. "Is everyone okay? Did I… did I hurt anyone?" Niklaus still wasn't looking at him. Which was absolutely terrifying, as Elijah could think of only one logical reason for that. "Hope. Did I do something to hurt Hope?"

"No! She's fine. You didn't hurt her."

Interesting choice of words. Not that he didn't do anything to her. Only that he didn't hurt her. And, Hope may be fine, but Niklaus had neatly side-stepped the question of whether Elijah had hurt anyone, to focus on Hope being okay. And the answer was there, in what he didn't say. "I'm guessing that's only because you, Freya, or Marcel stopped me. Or did the poor girl have to deal with me, herself?" She was both a Mikaelson witch, and a Crescent pack wolf in full possession of the special abilities that come from being a hybrid. A bite to distract him, and then just a snap of her fingers to knock him out. She could have done it, easily. Which didn't make him hate himself for her needing to any less.

"You were hallucinating. Seeing mother. Hope thinks you were also seeing Hayley. Something you apparently said. I don't really know. Whatever was going on in your head, whatever you were seeing… You tried to make it stop. Marcel has some daywalkers out cleaning up the mess. But Hope wasn't part of it. You didn't hurt anyone you care about."

"No, just an untold number of people whose only crime was to be in my vicinity while I not so quietly lost my mind. I'm not sure that really makes this any better." And then he really heard the rest of what Niklaus had said. "Hope said? Meaning that she's the one that found me. You say that I didn't hurt her. But, I did something, didn't I? What happened?"

Niklaus started pacing. "You can't just let this go, can you? No, of course not. You're Elijah Mikaelson. And you have to fix everything. Every problem that anyone has, you have to fix it. Well, guess what, brother? You aren't going to be here to fix everything for us. We are going to have to learn to clean up our own messes. So, just this once, let me clean up after you. It doesn't begin to pay you back for the past thousand years. But, it's the best I can do, now. Yes, people died. Yes, Hope saw things you would wish she hadn't. But, she's not a child. She's the one that talked you down from the ledge. And, whatever happened before I got there… She isn't cowering in fear of you. She's in the living room, with the others, waiting for her turn to say goodbye to you. She was the one who convinced Freya to divide the Hollow temporarily so that you could say goodbye. Whatever happened… That girl loves you. You didn't hurt her. Not in any way."

It didn't make it better. Not really. But, whatever else he may have done, at least he hadn't hurt Hope. At least he could go to Hayley with a clear conscience. Speaking of Hayley… He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I have a favor to ask."

If the sudden change in subject surprised him, Niklaus didn't let on. He was probably glad to not have to answer any more questions. Instead, he just glared at Elijah. "Don't you dare ask me to be the one to kill you. Because I'm not doing it."

"I wouldn't ask that of you. In fact, I intend to be alone when the time comes. I don't want any of you having to watch me die. No, this is something for the future. There's a box downstairs. It has some things of mine that I packed up before I had Marcel erase my memory. In that box is a ring box. Someday, when some young man asks you for Hope's hand… give him that ring to give to her?"

Niklaus's reaction to that was to pull Elijah into a hug. "I don't know how I'm going to go on without you. Knowing that you're with Hayley is the only thing that can possibly make this okay. So, when you get there, you grab that girl and you don't let go. Hope and I can take care of each other. You let yourself be at peace with the woman you love. You hear me?"

Elijah could only nod and return his brother's hug. He fought against tears. Tears, not for himself, but for those he was about to leave behind. "And you, let that young woman downstairs in. You've been alone long enough, too. At least give yourselves a chance to see if there is something real, there. And stop giving Marcel and Rebekah a hard time. Let them be happy, together. All of you deserve a chance to be happy. I think that after everything we've been through, we all deserve that."

"Funny that you say that while you're preparing to die."

Elijah finally pulled away and just shrugged. "Like you said, I'm going to Hayley. To the love of my life. Maybe it isn't fair that we had to die to get our chance to be happy, but when has life ever been fair?" In all honesty, what he couldn't say to Niklaus was that the truly ironic thing was that he was saying that while formulating a plan that would put a time limit on Marcel's happiness. But, in order to give Rebekah the one thing she wanted more than anything, that time limit was necessary.

He sighed. "All right. I guess I should finish my goodbyes before I run out of time. I'll go down, now. Give you time to pull yourself together. I know that you won't want the others to see the mighty Niklaus Mikaelson crying." And then he walked out before he could start crying again, himself. It was time to find out exactly what happened before his brother walked into that alley.


	5. Saying Goodbye Pt2 - Hope and Caroline

**_Elijah is still saying his goodbyes. Next up is Hope. Then asking Caroline for a couple favors. Because, even as he's preparing to die, he's still looking out for his siblings._**

 ** _As always, thank you for the likes, follows and comments._**

 **~In This Life Or The Next~**

Everybody stopped talking when he walked into the room and just looked at him. He closed his eyes against the looks in theirs. Took a deep breath. Opened his eyes again, ignoring everyone in the room except his niece. "Hope? Can I have a moment?" He held his breath, then. Niklaus had said that she was waiting for her turn to say goodbye. But what if she didn't want to be alone with him? He wouldn't blame her. Something horrible had happened between them before Niklaus found them. His brother's evasion had made that very clear.

Hope rolled her eyes as if she knew exactly what he was thinking. And then she just nodded, and walked out of the room. He followed her until they were on the other side of the house. "I'm guessing that the reason you wanted to talk to me next is because Dad told you that I was the one that found you?"

Perceptive. "You have your mother's way of seeing right through me. What really happened, Hope?"

"Are you sure you want to hear this?"

"I need to know. How do I face your mother not knowing what I did to you? How do I look her in the eye? I don't know if I even have a right to ask her to forgive me, because I don't know what I'm asking for forgiveness for."

Hope sighed and started pacing around the room. "I followed a trail of bodies into an alley. And you were there. There were more bodies. I should have snapped your neck right then. I know that." She held up a hand, warding off the argument from him that she obviously saw coming. "I'm not blaming myself for anything. Just reminding you that I did have a way to protect myself. So, you can stop blaming yourself, too. Anyway, apparently seeing me changed the hallucination you were having."

"And do you know what I was hallucinating?"

"You were seeing Grandmother. That's what the bodies were about. You kept trying to kill her. Which I found out later. But, when you saw me… You lunged at me. Grabbed me by the neck and held me against the wall." She shook her head at him, making him realize that the horror he felt at that was showing on his face. "You weren't trying to choke me, or anything. I could breathe perfectly fine. And then you started talking to Mom. Asking her to help you, because you didn't know what to do, anymore. I think that she somehow calmed you down. Until Dad got there. And I used the fact that you were talking to Mom to talk you down. Asked if you were prepared to go to her with my blood on your hands. Not fair, I know. But, it was all I had. You pointed out that I'm not going to have a choice about becoming a vampire. I told you that I was okay with that. And you let me go. And then I snapped your neck, and had Dad bring you back here."

"I am sorry you had to see that."

She shrugged. "Don't be. I'm a Mikaelson. I'm a werewolf. I'm going to be a vampire. You can't shield me from the world I live in forever. And it would be wrong to try. And I've had that thing whispering in my head. I know exactly what you were going through. The only difference between you and me is that you were able to act on it. So, don't worry about what I saw. It's nothing the Hollow didn't want me to do."

"I know that I can't shield you from the world. And I know that you've always been stronger than most of us gave you credit for. Today wasn't the first time you were the one to pull me off of the ledge of insanity. If you don't remember, your Aunt Freya might be able to tell you more. But, if what you saw that day didn't scare you, I don't know why I thought that this would. But you've been through so much these past few weeks. I can't help wanting to spare you what pain I can."

"I'm going to have to watch my uncle die, tonight. The man who probably would have been my stepfather if things had gone differently. Unless you have a way to spare me that pain… Nothing I saw in that alley begins to compare to this."

"I wish there was something I could say to make this better."

She was still pacing around the room. "I just wish… I don't even know what I wish, anymore. I want my mom back. I want you to not have to die to save me. I want… I guess that what I want doesn't really matter, does it?"

"Unfortunately, it doesn't matter what any of us wants. But, that is part of life. We all get swept up in things we have no control over. None of us wanted to become vampires, either. And yet, had we not done so, we all would have died a thousand years ago. And you would not exist. And you, Hope, are well worth everything we went through to bring us here. Never doubt that for a second."

"But, if I had never been born, then the Hollow wouldn't have gone after your family. You and mom…"

He couldn't help it. He started laughing hysterically, cutting her off. "If you had never been born, your mother and I never would have met. And she is the best thing that ever happened to me. So, that's enough of that. You are the best thing to happen to this family, Hope. If you can't see the things you've done for us, personally, then I have something for you to consider. Without you, I never would have met your mother. Kol never would have met Davina. Freya might still be locked in Dahlia's spell, and she sure as hell never would have met Keelin. And, speaking of me never meeting your mother. Without your mother, every one of us would be dead. So, don't you dare start going down the 'I never should have been born' path. You really were this family's salvation."

He took her into his arms. "But, enough of this. There is one other thing I wanted to talk to you about. When I first woke up, before everything with the Hollow started, we were daydreaming together about making a life together. Just the three of us, with your father and the rest of the family allowed to visit on the weekends. We talked about a cabin in the woods. I actually did buy a cabin. But, we never got to move in, because everything with the Hollow started. It's small, only two bedrooms. But, right after I found the deed to it again, I had it put in your name. It can be your sanctuary away from the rest of the family."

"Meaning Dad. You just literally gave a fifteen year old girl a house that her father physically cannot enter."

He shrugged. "Do try not to abuse that. Remember, your mother and I will be watching you."

She started crying at that. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. This isn't fair!"

"If I've learned anything in the past thousand years, it's that life isn't fair. But, it's okay. It's going to be okay. I'll be going to her before the day is out. You know that better than anyone. And, even if she hasn't really fully forgiven me, yet… Well, I'll have eternity to make things right. We have to believe that, Hope. Everything will be okay."

"I love you, Uncle Elijah. And I'm sorry for what a bitch I was to you."

"I love you too, baby girl. And don't worry about it. I meant what I said. I hate me, too. You may have forgiven me, but I'll never forgive myself."

She looked about to speak again, but he put a finger to her lips. "Shh. No more apologies. No regrets. Do you have any messages you want me to deliver?"

"Just tell my mom I love her. And I'm going to do my best to make you both proud."

"We're already so very proud of you, Hope. Never ever doubt that." He pulled away. "But, I should probably finish saying my goodbyes."

She nodded and he turned and walked out of the room. It was time to ask Caroline for a couple favors before he tried to get up the courage to say goodbye to the rest of his siblings. He fully admitted that he was stalling, but he wasn't sure how he was going to do that.

 **~In This Life Or The Next~**

"I'm glad you're here, Miss Forbes."

"Honestly, Elijah. Just call me Caroline, half my students don't even bother with the 'Miss Forbes' thing."

He couldn't help but smile at that. With that feisty, no-nonsense attitude, he could see why his brother had always been smitten with her. "All right, Caroline. I know I have no right, but I have two favors to ask of you. And one of them is pretty big."

"I'm not making any promises without knowing what the favors are, but I'll certainly hear you out. What do you need?"

How to explain this? "For a thousand years, I have been Niklaus's leash. You saw how well him losing that leash for a few years went. He's about to lose it, forever."

"You do know that a big part of what Klaus was doing was to protect you, right? Because if any of your enemies came after you, you wouldn't know to watch your back."

And yet, a part of him wondered if one of those enemies had indeed come after him. Disguised not just as a friend, but as a lover. Not that he would ever discuss his growing doubts about Antoinette with anyone, even if he still had forever to do so. She was long gone, and nobody would ever let her get close to any of them again. No point in sending Niklaus on a quest for vengeance that might still actually be unwarranted.

He shook his head. "Be that as it may. This is still Niklaus we're talking about. My point is that he's going to need a new leash. I'd like to think that with trying to protect me gone as an excuse, that Hope will be enough. But, you do seem to have an effect on him, as well."

"So, keep eyes and ears to the ground and try to keep your brother from spiraling. I can do that. Especially with Hope's help. What's the other favor?"

"Something to consider for the future, actually. I hope it will be several decades before it becomes an issue. But, the one thing my little sister has always wanted, even when we were human, was to have a family of her own. And then my parents made that hopelessly impossible."

Caroline smiled. "When Damon is ready to go, Rebekah is next in line for the cure. I'll make sure that he and Elena are both aware, as well."

"Thank you. And, perhaps don't tell Niklaus, just yet? I don't know what his reaction will be, but knowing him, it likely will not be good."

"No, knowing your brother, heads will roll. Probably starting with Damon's to try to get rid of the cure, altogether." She kissed him on the cheek. "It will be our secret until it's time. And I'll do my best to keep Klaus out of trouble, too."


	6. Saying Goodbye Pt 3 - Rebekah and Marcel

_Yes, Elijah is still saying his goodbyes. There will probably only be one more chapter of that before I finally kill him off. This time, it's Rebekah. Not going to lie, this chapter was hard to write. I am not going to apologize for the odds of it being equally hard to read._

 _As always, thank you for reading, and for the likes, follows, and comments._

 **~In This Life Or The Next~**

"Rebekah?"

His baby sister looked up and paled. "My turn, already? No. I refuse. I'm not saying goodbye to you, Elijah. I…I can't." She looked like she was going to cry. Which was hardly surprising, really. After a thousand years together, they were only given a few short hours to say goodbye.

Elijah didn't know what to say. Begging her to not let him go without getting to say goodbye to her would only make this harder for her. And she was the one that was going to have to live with whatever happened between them, today.

It was Marcel that stepped in, metaphorically speaking. He gently kissed Rebekah's temple. "Go on. You'll hate yourself in the morning if you don't say goodbye. I'll be right here when you're done, okay?"

Rebekah nodded and stood up, then walked out of the room. Bemused, Elijah could only follow her, until they were in her bedroom. "Interesting location for a talk."

"Well, since I intend to lay down and cry for a few centuries after talking to you, having my bed right there made sense." When she turned to look at him, the tears she had been fighting since he got her attention downstairs were streaming down her face. "I don't know how to do this, Elijah. I don't know how to say goodbye to you."

He took her into his arms. "For what it's worth, neither do I. I'm just fumbling my way through this. I feel like I'm being so selfish, right now. Leaving all of you. While I…"

"While you go to Hayley. You're not being selfish, Elijah. It's okay to want something for yourself. For a thousand years, you put us first. Honestly, I can't help feeling like I'm the one being selfish. I'm the one that wants to keep my big brother here with me. When the love of his life is waiting for him. Out of all of us, you are the one that most deserves a chance to be happy. You've put your own happiness on hold for me and Nik so damned many times. I know that it's time. Past time for you to put yourself first. But, I don't know how to let you go."

"Niklaus actually told me that knowing that I'm going to Hayley is the only thing that makes this remotely bearable."

"For all that he can be a colossal idiot, sometimes, every once in a while our brother shows his intelligence."

Elijah laughed. "But, speaking of the loves of our lives…"

"Were we?"

"Well, we were talking about me going to Hayley. Seems like a good place for a segue." Rebekah laughed, and Elijah continued. "Also, speaking of our idiot brother… I have extracted a promise from him to stop giving you and Marcel a hard time. You once told me to run towards love. Now, I am. And I'm telling you the same thing. Marcel loves you, Rebekah. And if I am deserving of love and to be happy, then so are you. Stop running from him, from love, from happiness."

"Do you really think that Nik will allow that?"

"I really think that if he tries to revert to his old ways Hope and Caroline will knock him down a peg or five."

"And Caroline? So, you've noticed that, too?" She pulled away, then, and grinned at him. For a little while at least, she was the same baby sister he had known for centuries. "How did it take us all a thousand years to find love, anyway?"

"You've always been the hopeless romantic, sister. And, in point of fact, it only took you eight hundred years."

She rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Honestly… I think that we can just chalk that up to being the advantage of immortality. We were still here when our soul mates were born." He took a deep breath. "But, there is one other thing I wanted to talk to you about. A secret that you, me, Marcel, and Caroline are going to keep from Niklaus until it's too late for him to do anything about it."

Her eyes clouded over at that, and Elijah winced as he realized his mistake. He had included himself in that. Like keeping a secret was a choice he would have. Like he wasn't about to take all of his secrets to his grave. "What secret?"

"You have a long time to decide if it's what you really want. But… When Damon Salvatore is ready to go… you are next in line for the cure."

Rebekah just stared at him. "Mortality? You're offering me mortality? And… Well… I couldn't have Marcel's children. But…"

"But, Freya can't have Keelin's either. You would have the same kinds of options that they do."

"Children… I… Do you think Marcel will still want me, if he knows that it will be temporary?"

"Seriously? You're worried that the man who spent two hundred years taking whatever stolen moments with you he could get won't want you if it's only temporary? It's always been temporary with you two, Rebekah. And you always kept finding your way back to each other. I think he'll take what happiness he can find, for as long as you can give it."

She nodded. "And, if he can't handle that, then… I'll have a choice to make. But, I think you're right. I think he'll stand by my side for however long I end up having." She was crying, again. "And… I guess that means that I'll see you in about a hundred years or so. What's a hundred years, right? Just a blip on the radar at this point, really."

Elijah could only hug her and kiss her on the forehead. "Be happy, little sister. You are going to be a wonderful mother. You took such good care of Hope. I look forward to watching you raise a few children of your own. And spoiling your grandchildren rotten. And… I'll see you in about a hundred years or so."

"Give Hayley my love. And Josh. I… I love you, Elijah."

"I love you, too. Always and forever."

"Always and forever." She threw herself onto her bed.

"I'll send Marcel up here?"

Rebekah just nodded.

"Do you want me to tell him about my deal with Caroline? Or do you want to be the one to tell him?"

"You do it. Give him a chance to decide how he feels about it before he sees me."

Elijah nodded, even though with her face buried in her pillow, she couldn't see him. And then he walked out of the room and back downstairs.

 **~In This Life Or The Next~**

This was getting exhausting. Elijah wasn't sure how much more he could take. But, he didn't have time to take a break. He had this one night. "Marcel? I guess you're next. Rebekah really needs you, right now."

Marcel nodded and followed Elijah out of the room. "She gonna be okay?"

"I think she will be, eventually. She'll have you, after all. Or at least, I hope she still will after you hear what I have to tell you."

"Leave it to you to get all ominous while saying your goodbyes. What is it that you have to tell me?"

Elijah started pacing. "There's a cure. For vampirism. Right now, it's in Mystic Falls. In the blood of one Damon Salvatore."

Marcel actually smiled. "And you've made arrangements with Caroline for Rebekah to get it? The one thing she wants more than anything else in the world."

"Yes. She loves you, Marcel. Enough that if you can't handle this, if you don't want to be with her if it's only temporary, then she says she'll have a choice to make. But…"

"But, why would I make her choose? What are my options, Elijah? I either take whatever time I have with her, I walk away from the only thing in my life that has ever made sense, or I spend forever with a woman who… part of her would be resenting me for taking her dreams away from her. If it was Hayley, what would you do?"

"I would be holding her hand on her death bed."

"Which is exactly what I'm going to do. I'm going to spend however much time she has with her. I'm going to help her raise her children. No. Our children. They won't be biologically mine, but neither is Davina. And, when the time comes, I'm going to hold her hand, and kiss her one last time, and watch her return to your side."

"Just… don't tell Niklaus? Not until she's made her final choice and it's too late for him to try to talk her out of it? This is something that the two of you should decide together. For once, don't give my idiot brother a vote."

"Yeah. And she doesn't need that drama from him. I'll support her, whatever she decides. If she takes the cure, I'll be holding her hand on her death bed. And if she doesn't… You know… Caroline's school is a pretty awesome thing. Rebekah and I could do something similar. Except… instead of a school, an orphanage. Let her mother orphaned witches and werewolves to her heart's content."

"Not a bad idea. Honestly… not a bad idea even if she does take the cure. I wonder what Hayley's life would have been like if she had been adopted by someone who knew what she was and accepted her. I will always be grateful to you for saving her all those years ago, but…"

"But, for her sake… Honestly, for her sake, I wish I had found another werewolf pack to give her to. Or, I had sent her to Rebekah. I think it might actually be a really good idea. I'll have to talk to Rebekah about it after she's calmed down a bit."

"Do that. Besides, you and Kol are going to need something to keep yourselves out of trouble when Rebekah and Davina are gone."

Marcel laughed. "Can you honestly see Kol helping to run a supernatural orphanage?"

"He just might surprise you. I never, in a thousand years, imagined that he would be the first of us to get married. And yet, look at him. And, he can't give Davina children, either. She might be glad of that chance to be a surrogate mother, too."

"I'll run it past all three of them."

There were so many things left to say. But, he was running out of time. In the end, there was only one thing that really mattered. "Marcellus… I don't have time to make amends for… anything, really. So, I'm going to just deal with my worst offense. That night on the bridge. I acted without thinking. Out of fear. I was so caught up in trying to prevent that prophecy that I… You didn't deserve that. I should have talked to you. I should have given you a chance. Even if I still had forever, I couldn't begin to make amends for that. But, I just want you to know… I am so sorry. You are a member of this family. You always have been. And you deserved a hell of a lot better than that."

"Yeah, well… I then went on to try to kill all of you. Cost you five years of your life. Cost Klaus being able to watch Hope grow up. And maybe… maybe if you and Hayley had had those five years together, she wouldn't have freaked out so much about what happened in Freya's pendant. Which… the final domino in that row is pretty much this moment. So… I guess that we're even, now. Except, you aren't going to come back from this stronger than ever."

"No. But, I'll be with Hayley. And free from all the drama. Free from all of our enemies. I guess, when you look at it that way, I really am going to be stronger than ever. So, does this mean that we're okay?"

"Yeah. We're okay. Do me a favor?"

Elijah laughed. "Let me guess. You have messages for me to deliver?"

"I take it I'm not the only one?"

"There are advantages to knowing someone that had a near death experience and so having proof of an afterlife. I don't mind being a messenger."

"I'm not going to ask you to go hunting for anyone. But, if you see any of my guys, tell them I'm sorry. And Josh… Tell Josh that Thierry was wrong. Tell him that I was honored to know him."

"I'll do that. Now… Rebekah is up in her room crying her eyes out and scared to death that she's about to lose both of us."

"Yeah. I should probably go take care of her." He held out his hand.

Elijah rolled his eyes, grabbed Marcel's hand, and pulled him into a hug. "I am sorry that I won't get to dance at your wedding. But, I am so very glad that she found you. And that, in the end, you were the one she ultimately chose."

"Thank you. That means a lot to me." When he pulled away, his eyes were suspiciously bright. "I should go… officially propose to your sister. Let her know that I really am in this until the end."

"You do that." And then Elijah turned and walked away. He was sure that Marcel was going to go, hold Rebekah, and cry with her. But, letting her see him cry was entirely different from letting Elijah see it. And the man deserved to hold onto his dignity.


	7. Saying Goodbye Pt 4 - Freya, Kol, Davina

_**Well, here we go. The last of Elijah's goodbyes.**_

 _ **As always, thank you for the favorites, follows, and comments. They mean a lot to me.**_

 **~In This Life or the Next~**

Five down, three to go. And since he really needed to talk to Kol and Davina together, that meant that Freya was next.

"I guess this means that I'm going to have to step up and actually be the oldest, doesn't it? You did such a good job of keeping the others in hand, it was easier to leave you to it. But, can you imagine _Klaus_ as the family patriarch?"

He had to laugh at that. "I'm sure you'll be fine. I have all the faith in the world in Davina's ability to keep Kol in line. Rebekah was never really much trouble. And Caroline has promised to deal with Niklaus. I think that between her and Hope, he will be quite manageable."

"We didn't get nearly enough time together. Out of a thousand years, we had less than a decade. But, I do love you, little brother. And I'm so sorry. I wish I had time to figure something else out."

"Can I make a confession? Something I can't tell the others?"

"Of course. You can tell me anything."

"Unless your solution involved finding a way to bring Hayley back, then I don't want it. This is… It's more than just a final solution to the Hollow problem. It's atonement. It's the only way I can make it up to Hayley. Not just for letting her die. No, not letting her die. For being the reason she died. Because, let's face it… if I hadn't been there, Niklaus and Caroline would have been able to handle the situation perfectly fine. But, not just for that. For forgetting her. For walking away, and making her think I didn't love her. For the past seven years. For… just for everything."

"She loved you, too, Elijah. She wouldn't want you to die over that. She would want you to move on. To live your life. To fall in love again. Trust me. At this point, I know her better than anyone. You think we never talked about you? About what your decision to forget us did to her? She was my best friend, Elijah. And I was hers. So, I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she wouldn't want this. She wouldn't want your death."

For possibly the first time since he had started this, he let himself cry, too. "I know that. But, it doesn't really change anything. She's dead because of me. But, it isn't just that. I… I'm having a hard time explaining it. But… I don't have time to explain all of my reasons for having my memory erased. I wish I did. You all have a right to hear it. But, I do admit that I was being selfish. And now, I'm about to be even more selfish. But… I can't face eternity without her. It took me a thousand years to find the other half of myself. And now she's gone. And it's my fault. And I want her back. I want her back. And there's only one way that's going to happen. And part of me hates myself for that. For being so willing to leave the rest of you. But…"

Freya frowned at him. "Tell me this isn't just a suicide, Elijah."

"No. Not at all. If it wasn't for the Hollow, then my penance for letting Hayley die would have been to stay, to help you and Klaus raise Hope. But, as it stands, this is just the best solution. Klaus gets to stay with his daughter, Hope isn't left an orphan, and… hopefully I get to apologize to Hayley in person. It would serve me right if she told me to fuck off. But, at least I can try to fix things with her."

Freya just hugged him. "I'm going to miss you, so much. I… hug Josh and Hayley for me, and tell them I love them?"

He hugged her back, holding tightly to her for a minute. "I will."

"And… If you see our mother… Tell her… Tell her that I forgive her."

"If I see her. I honestly don't know what the odds are of that, though."

"I would never ask you to look for either of our parents. Just… if you see her."

He just nodded and hugged her, again. And then he pulled away, kissed her cheek, and turned to go back into the other room.

 **~In This Life or the Next~**

He took a deep breath. He wasn't looking forward to this. The last two goodbyes were going to be the hardest. Not because of it being hard to say goodbye to them, but because it was his last chance to try to explain himself to a woman who hated him. His last chance to try to make amends with the brother who had spent a thousand years always feeling like an outsider in his own family. He had no real hopes of fixing things with them. Not in one night. Maybe if he had another thousand years. Maybe not even then. Maybe some wounds just couldn't be healed.

"I'll leave you two alone."

"Davina, no. Stay. Please? I have things to say to you, too. And this time, it would be easier to do this all at once. Please? As my last request?"

"That was a low blow, Elijah."

"I don't really have time for niceties." He sat on the couch next to his sister-in-law, and took her hand in his. "Freya and I… We weren't fair to you. To either of you. At the very least, we should have explained. I'm reminded of how brave you were the night Sophie finished the Harvest Ritual. How you just stood there, told her that you believe, and let her do what needed to be done. You sacrificed yourself for this city, not really knowing if she would be able to bring you back. I won't ask what your answer would have been if we had explained what we needed. At this point, it doesn't matter. Just know, that if I had that day back to do over, I _would_ explain it to you. I would at least give the two of you a chance to say goodbye. I wasn't fair to you, and I am so sorry."

To his surprise, there were tears in her eyes when she looked at him. "I wish you had explained. Given us a chance to say goodbye. Not so much for my sake, but for Kol's. Because, you're right. I would have done it. If I had understood exactly what you needed, I would have done it. I guess I had been with Kol long enough to start to think like a Mikaelson. But… for Kol's sake… I wish you had taken the time to explain. And, now, I'm going to leave the two of you to talk. Don't worry. We're okay. I forgave you a long time ago. Tell Josh I love him?"

Elijah could only nod as she got up and walked out of the room, leaving him alone with the little brother who had somehow always come in last. "I… Kol… I can't begin to atone for the past thousand years. It would take at least another thousand years to do it. And I'm running out of time. But, I need you to know that you were always loved. Niklaus, Rebekah, and I formed a bond that somehow excluded you and Finn. I guess it's a little too late to try to understand why. It wasn't fair to you. To either of you. Though, Finn… I don't know that he ever really wanted to be a part of it. But you… I don't know how or why…" He wiped the tears that were forming away. "For a thousand years, all you wanted was to be included. And somehow… we always denied you that. We didn't always realize we were doing it. And now, I just wish I could undo it all. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

And then Kol's arms were around him. "Shh… It's okay, Elijah. I was an annoying little shit most of the time. When I wasn't a homicidal monster worse than even Klaus. I'll never feel as close to any of you as you are to each other. You have a thousand years of history together that I wasn't a real part of. But, I do know that you all love me. You may have had strange ways of showing it sometimes. But I know that you do. And I love you, too. And I'm going to miss you, so much."

They sat there, holding each other and crying together, bonding over their grief the way they never had been able to over anything else in their lives. Until the whispering started in Elijah's head, again.

He pulled away. "Time's up. I need to get Freya and Hope to give me back the rest of the Hollow."

 **~In This Life or the Next~**

He had said his private goodbyes. Been given his messages to deliver to those who had preceded him. Caroline had even pulled him aside while Freya and Hope were working on the spell to transfer the part of the Hollow that Klaus had taken back into him.

"I feel horrible asking. But, I heard that everyone else asked you to… talk to the people they care about for them?"

"I imagine that your parents and your husband are on your list?"

"If you don't mind? I mean… if you see them… Stefan… my parents… Tyler? And… tell Jo… Tell her that I hope I'm doing okay by her daughters. That I hope she approves. And let her know that I really do love them like they're my own."

He smiled at her. "Of course."

Niklaus pulled him aside to add Cami to his list of people to talk to. "And… tell my father that I'm sorry. I was just trying to protect Hope. And if you see Henrik…"

Elijah smiled and put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "I'll tell them."

And then it was time. One last round of hugs, quick goodbyes that were also stall tactics. And then he walked out into the courtyard.

He needed to be alone for this. Nobody should have to watch him die. Except, his family had other ideas.

"You wouldn't let me die alone. What makes you think I'll let you die alone?"

"Honestly, Elijah. How long have you known us? Always and forever means exactly that. You're stuck with us until the very end."

He couldn't help but smile as he looked around. No, he hadn't wanted them to see this. But, he was touched that they wanted to be there for him.

He looked around, at his family. And they were all his family, whether by blood, by marriage, or just by having been there for them. He was going to miss them. But, hopefully, he would be able to watch over them. And, he knew that he would see them all again. That was the true promise that Hope brought back with her from her near death experience. The knowledge that there was more. And someday… someday, even his family would join them.

And then he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and plunged the stake into his own chest. Searing pain was followed by a merciful darkness. And then a flash of bright, white light.

 **~In This Life or the Next~**

 _ **And now, this gets put on hold until Waiting For That Dance catches up. Which will pretty much be April's project.**_


	8. Welcome Home, Elijah

_This is it! The Haylijah reunion. I hope it was worth the wait._

 _As always, thank you for the likes/kudos, and the reviews/comments. They are always very appreciated_

 **~In This Life Or The** **Next~**

He was still in the compound. But, now he was alone. And that made him question where he had ended up. Was this Heaven or Hell? Was he going to now be forced to spend eternity alone in the compound?

And then it was as if something was tugging at him. Pulling him somewhere. With nothing else to tell him what he was supposed to do, he followed that pull. This was starting to seem more and more like he had ended up in Hell. The streets of New Orleans were empty. This was his worst nightmare. It was what he had never been able to bring himself to tell anyone, not even Hayley. Not even Niklaus and Rebekah. The reason he always fought so hard for his family, fought so hard to save Niklaus, was out of a sheer terror of being alone. He had _needed_ them. He and his little brother were more alike than anyone would ever guess. They both had the same debilitating fear. Their difference was simply in how they dealt with it.

And yet, there was that something pulling at him. That sense that he was expected somewhere, that somebody was waiting for him. He prayed that it was Hayley. That he had found his way back to her. The more he walked, the stronger the pull got. As if it was being affected by distance. Whatever, or whoever, it was, he was getting closer, he could feel that.

He started to run. He still had no idea where he was being led to. All he knew was that he could no more ignore the force pulling at him than a nail could ignore a magnet. New Orleans was becoming a blur around him, as he picked up speed. And yet, he was still running through a ghost town. Still alone. Still with no more reassurance that she was here than he had had when he arrived. "Hayley! Hayley where are you?"

And then he saw it, the place he seemed to be being drawn to. The cemetery. Why in the world was there a cemetery in the afterlife? He finally skidded to a halt when the force pulling at him seemed to stop. He knew exactly where he was. In the exact same spot he had stood in sixteen years earlier, the night he had come back to New Orleans. The night he had met _her_. And yet… he was alone. Even here. The force pulling at him had stopped, as if this was where it had wanted him. But Hayley wasn't here. No. Please no.

He closed his eyes and fought back his tears as he tried, one last time, to call out for the one person who could make his death okay. "Hayley! Please. Please be here. Please. Please don't let this be Hell. Please be here." Not that he had much faith that she would answer him. It had been too much. A thousand years as a monster couldn't be undone so easily.

"Where the Hell have you been?"

That voice. Could it be? He was afraid to open his eyes. Afraid that he would still be alone, that that voice would turn out to be just the universe's way of screwing with him. One more bit of torture, to make him think that she was here, just to take her away again the minute he let himself believe.

"Elijah? It's okay, Elijah. I'm here. I'm here, Elijah. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. I love you. I love you, and I'm right here. It's going to be okay. Everything is going to be okay."

He had heard her say that before. Exactly that, word for word. When? And then he remembered. When he had attacked Hope, that was what Hayley's voice in her head had said to try to calm him down. Was this another hallucination, like that had been? Or was there something else going on, here?

And then there were arms around him. "I'm here. You're okay. Well, as okay as you can be, under the circumstances. I'm the last one to try to belittle the fact that you just died. But, it's going to be okay."

He didn't know what was real and what wasn't. And he had no way to test it. If he was in some kind of Hell, anything he would need to be made to believe that Hayley was standing there with him, was right there in his own mind. How do you fight against a hallucination?

But, maybe it was time to try. "Hayley? Is it really you?"

She let go of him, then. "Open your eyes, Elijah. See for yourself."

He took a shuddering breath, and then did as he was told. And Hayley was there. Or at least she seemed to be. He still wasn't entirely sure he could trust the evidence of his own senses. After all, this could still be a trick, a way to get him off-guard before pulling the rug out from under him, again.

He reached out to her, then. Brushed a stray strand of hair off of her face. She seemed real enough. But, he was still afraid to believe. Part of him was starting to think he was being stupid. That, despite everything, he had somehow found his way to Heaven. That Hayley was really standing in front of him, a concerned smile on her face, and love shining in her eyes.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Honestly, Elijah? What do I have to do to convince you?"

"Well, the fact that you seem to know exactly what I'm thinking isn't exactly the best sign."

"Did you not comment to Hope, just a few hours ago, about my ability to see right through you? It's written all over your face. I can see your fear in your eyes. I may not be able to actually read your mind, but I can see what you're feeling, anyway." And then she smirked. "Actually, maybe this will help."

And then she closed her eyes, and put her fingers on his forehead. And suddenly, he was in the bayou, watching Hayley arguing with Jackson - about him, and the fact that she still loved him and intended to wait for him.

The vision changed, and he was at Rousseau's with Cami and… Aiden? They were explaining to Hayley why they honestly believed that no matter how long it took Elijah to get here, that the first thing he would do would be to look for Hayley. They were certainly right about that. But, Diego was dating Gia? Interesting.

Before he had time to process that, though, the vision changed again. Cami, Aiden, Diego, and two people he didn't know were telling Hayley about the deal Elijah had tried to strike with Niklaus to save Antoinette and Niklaus's refusal of it. But then Cami said something that somehow never occurred to him, at least not consciously.

"Sometimes, I can actually get into his head. And, the truth is, it's for Elijah's sake. Klaus is afraid that remembering you will destroy Elijah. So, either way, they've lost him. At least if he doesn't get his memories back… He's trying to save Elijah from himself, Hayley. He doesn't hate him. He loves him. And he's trying to do what's best for him."

Considering what remembering Hayley had done to Elijah, right down to the fact that he was standing here, those fears weren't exactly unfounded. But then, he was at Hayley's funeral, walking next to Hope behind the cart carrying her coffin. A vision that lasted only a few seconds before they were back at Rousseau's. Hayley had never wanted that. She had told him that when Kieran had died. Elijah smiled at the memory of that conversation, and where it had led.

But, Hayley was holding nothing back, now. He was forced to watch as she picked up a glass and threw it against the wall, where it shattered. "I was supposed to be immortal! I was supposed to live forever. I was supposed to watch my daughter grow up. I was supposed to dance with Elijah at Hope's wedding. Hell! I was supposed to dance with Elijah at _our_ wedding. I wasn't supposed to die at thirty-five fucking years old. I wasn't supposed to have the love of my life decide to get his mind wiped because he didn't fucking trust himself to stay away from his siblings. He was supposed to remember that I wouldn't want this and make them cancel this nonsense, and just give me a werewolf funeral. He was supposed to remember. He was supposed to still love me."

He tried to pull away, then. He couldn't stand here and just watch this. He needed to explain, to comfort her. But, her hand was on the back of his head, holding him still. He was an Original, but she was a hybrid. And just a tiny bit stronger than him. Or maybe it was simply that she was more determined than he was. Part of him didn't really want to pull away, after all. Part of him believed that he deserved every bit of pain that watching Hayley react to how badly he had hurt her was causing him.

And it wasn't over. He watched in horror as Hayley speculated that forgetting her had been part of the point of him getting his mind wiped. So that he could forget "the bitch that broke his heart again and again." Watched as she questioned why he just left her without even saying goodbye. They were going to have to talk about that. Later, when she was finished showing him what she wanted him to see.

They were in his prison cell, then. Watching as Marcel and Vincent tried to make him remember. Watching as his mind fought against it. He knew why, now. He hadn't been ready to face her death. To face an Eternity without her. And then they were back at Rousseau's, and Hayley was freaking out thinking that she had killed him by stopping him from going through that red door.

And then he was in the bayou, again. Watching Hayley's werewolf funeral, and wondering the exact same thing Hayley asked - what the hell his brother was doing being there, holding Hope's hand, basically daring the Hollow to come get them. A dare that it took him up on, as suddenly even the water caught on fire, as if there had been an oil spill there, recently.

But then he was in Saint Anne's, looking on as his past self clung to the pew, sobbing. He saw then that all of the others were also crying, even Kol. He watched as Hayley knelt in front of him, and put her hand up to his face. "I love you, Elijah. I love you with all my heart. And I'll be waiting for you. Always and forever. I love all of you. Thank you for everything. For being the closest thing to a real family I have ever had. Take care of my baby. And I'll see you all again, some day."

And then they were in a cabin, and his mother, of all people was there. Explaining to Hayley that she may have had a horrible way of showing it, but she did love her children, and Hope, and Hayley. And then Hayley said something that he hadn't thought of when he saw her. "You came here. Your son was going through Hell, and your first thought was what that had to be doing to me. This is supposed to be Heaven, Esther. If I can't forgive you when you ask for it, here, then… I don't really deserve to be here, do I?" No. Esther's assertion that she really did love them was not a line, or a platitude. She had felt his pain, and had gone to Hayley to help her cope.

She didn't give him time to process, though. He was watching his conversation with Declan, and Hope's attack on himself.

He was starting to understand, now. She was just trying to show him that he had never really been alone. Not since she died. She had taken breaks, when it got to be too much for her. But, for the most part, she had been there.

There were other things, conversations with Cami, a conversation with Gia, of all people. Sophie and her sister Jane Ann stopping by after Vincent released the ancestors.

And then Hayley was railing about him not wanting to go to Freya's wedding, at first. And Cami was trying to calm her down. He winced at the conversation between Eve and Hayley's mother. No, Hayley's afterlife hadn't been peaceful as of yet. And most of that was his fault.

And then he was at Freya's wedding. Watching Rebekah telling her that he would have been there if he could. Watching as Hayley tried to comfort his mother, who was in tears. Over him, and the pain he was in.

"Is that supposed to make it better? One of my babies is currently hurting so badly that he can't even bring himself to go to his sister's wedding. And there isn't a damn thing either of us can do about it. I'm a witch, Hayley. A damned powerful witch. I'm not used to feeling helpless."

No, he didn't imagine that she had much experience with helplessness. But, then his past self was there, and Esther squealed like a little girl. And Elijah had to laugh. He had never seen her like that. After all, Freya had already been taken before he was born. He had only met the woman who had been battered and bruised by all the crap Fate had thrown at her. Hayley had pointed out to her before that she was family, and now Elijah was starting to understand. Esther was a Mikaelson, too. And just as cursed as the rest of them.

He watched Freya's wedding, again. Only this time, Hayley was standing next to him. He watched as Finn asked her to dance, offering to be a kind of proxy for Elijah. And as Hayley met Henrik. Yes, Klaus would be very relieved to see their baby brother so happy. So like his old self. And then he was laughing as Hayley played matchmaker, introducing Finn and Eve and sending them out to dance.

Of course, there was that pall that got thrown over the wedding, later. And then his conversation with Niklaus. Which was apparently when Hayley realized what was going on with Hope.

He did have to smile at Cami's schedules, though. Leave it to her to do something like that. Though, he didn't imagine that Hayley liked it. At least Cami let the others give her highlights. Though, he wasn't sure whether to be amused or annoyed when she showed him what Finn had shown her. He really didn't need to relive that particular conversation. And seeing Hayley sitting on the ground, laughing her ass off at his expense was… Okay, it was a little funny.

This time, when he pulled away, she let him. "I'm so glad that my discomfort amused you, so much."

She rolled her eyes at him. "I couldn't help it. You looked so funny. And honestly, I think that a large part of it was just relief that you and Hope had made up. That… that she wasn't going to die still hating you." She looked down. "There's still more, if you want to see it?"

What he wanted was to do what he promised Niklaus he would do. He wanted to grab her, take her into his arms, and never let her go. But, he had a feeling that whatever the "more" was, it was something she wanted him to see. And he owed it to her to let her show him. He nodded and closed his eyes. "Go on."

He was standing in the bayou, watching Hope's near-death experience. Watching as Hayley desperately tried to send her back. "I need you to do something for me. What I'm about to say isn't going to make much sense to you, but that's the point. I need you to tell your Uncle Elijah that I'm still holding out for that dance. He'll understand."

"You… you loved him, didn't you? How did I forget that?"

"I still do. With all my heart. And, I need him to know that. Don't… don't tell him the rest. Just deliver that message for me. He'll know what it means. Now go! Wake up!"

He wanted to pull away again, to talk to her about that. But, she wasn't done. And he knew that the sooner he let her do what she needed to do, the sooner they could start their new lives together.

He was in the cabin, watching as Hayley dropped her phone in reaction to Josh telling her that Elijah was coming home. And then his mother was there, telling her the moon was about to crest and she should go be with Hope, that Esther would stay with Elijah. And then he was in the woods near Mystic Falls, watching Hope, Klaus, and Hayley all running together. He wondered if it would have made him feel better at the time to know that in a way, Hayley _was_ running through the woods with Hope that night.

He was back in the cabin.

"I obviously can't be here when Elijah gets here. I don't want to force myself on him. Just… let him know that I would love to see him, if he ever feels up to it, but I'd understand if he never does."

"I'll tell him. But, Esther… Whatever he decides, that doesn't change anything between us. I've forgiven you for everything, and consider you a friend. And I'm not going to become a stranger. I will still be in your life, with or without Elijah."

Elijah realized then that somewhere along the way, he had forgiven his mother, too. It would be a while before he was ready to see her, he needed time to adjust to being dead before he faced that particular inner demon. But, the time would come when he would look Esther in the eye, deliver Freya's message, and add his own forgiveness to it. He wondered if that was Hayley's point to this. Or at least one of them. To try to help mend that rift and give Elijah back the mother he once had loved.

And then, Hayley was showing him that not every time he had heard her voice that last day had been a hallucination. She had actually been there, watching him, going behind the red door to talk to him when he most needed it. Though, watching what he did that day made him a little sick to his stomach. Made all the worse by the fact that it was Hayley showing him, that she had watched him through that. How she could possibly still want anything to do with him was beyond him.

This time, it was Hayley that pulled away. "You weren't yourself. That wasn't you, that was the Hollow. And, honestly… Maybe if I had been a bit more understanding of what I saw the night I helped bring you back from Freya's pendant, a large portion of the past seven years wouldn't have happened. Maybe we would both still be alive."

He nodded. "Is there anything else you want to show me?"

"No, you don't need to rewatch yourself saying goodbye to your family, unless you want to." He shook his head at that. "Then, that's about it. Elijah… I'm sorry for not being at the compound when you got here. For making you think that I wasn't here waiting for you. I… I know you read that letter I wrote you, so maybe you can understand. I was trying to 'meet' you under different circumstances. I thought that maybe if we reenacted our first meeting, here, that… That we could get a kind of do-over. I realize now that it was stupid. I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you."

He sighed and pulled her into his arms. "No. It wasn't stupid. It was sweet. You couldn't have known how truly screwed up in the head I really am. You couldn't have known that you were creating my worst nightmare. Being completely alone like that… it was like my own personal Hell. That has always been my biggest fear, being alone. Cami would probably call me co-dependent. But, there's no way you could have known that."

He felt her nod against his chest. "Still, I ended up hurting you. The pain and fear in your voice… I'm so sorry for putting you through that."

He pulled away a bit, put a finger under her chin, and tilted her head up so that she was looking him in the eye. "Hayley, we are going to have to talk about all the ways we've hurt each other over the years. I have no illusions about that. You are top on my list of people I need to make amends with. But, we have Eternity for that. For tonight… for tonight, can we just celebrate the fact that somehow, despite everything I've done in my life, that I managed to be deemed worthy of Heaven, after all? For tonight, let's just be happy together. We can start talking about everything tomorrow."

She smiled at him, then. And then she slid her hand up, around his neck, and to the back of his head. "I love you." Before he could say anything, his mouth was busy answering her with something other than words, as her lips met his and parted. Their lips moved over each other, their tongues tangling together. They had seven years to make up for. Seven years of Hayley feeling rejected, and wondering if she would ever get him back. He couldn't take back those seven years, but he could pour all of the love he had felt for her pretty much from the moment he had laid eyes on her into this kiss. And, he had Eternity to make it up to her. She would never again have even one minute where she had a reason to doubt his love for her.

Eventually, they pulled apart, and Hayley looked up at him and smiled. "Welcome home, Elijah."


	9. Meet The Parents

Elijah wrapped his arms around Hayley and held her to him. "I am so sorry. For everything. I don't even know where to begin…"

"Shh… We can start talking about that in the morning. For right now… We should get back to the bayou. There's someone there I want you to meet." She took his hand and led him out of the cemetery, and to a waiting car.

He blinked at that. "Cars are actually a thing, here?"

She shrugged. "Yeah. So are cell phones, which you've already seen. Planes are not, though. For long distances, we just teleport. I honestly think that cars and phones are still things because we want them to be? Like, it gives us some semblance of normalcy. Kind of like how we still seem to have heartbeats, and to breathe, even though I'm pretty sure that we don't actually _need_ to breathe. Don't try to understand it."

As they got into the car, he thought about something else. Namely the fact that until this moment, he didn't actually know that cars were a thing, here. "So, why were the streets so empty, before? I mean, people have been living and dying in this city for centuries. Where are they all?"

Hayley started the car, and then started driving. "It gets a little complicated. But, basically, you're only ever going to see people when either you are specifically looking for them, or they are specifically looking for you. Even people you knew personally. So, since you were looking for me, and anyone that might have been interested enough to look for you had been warned off by Cami, there was nobody around." She paused for a minute. "Well, I don't know if Cami thought to warn off Gia, but I think she would have had enough respect to stay away and let us have our reunion first. You'll talk to her when you're ready." And then she laughed. "Actually, one fun perk of how things work is that you could possibly go to Norway to see your mother, and never see Dahlia, even though they live together."

Elijah did have to smile at that. Though his thoughts were mainly on other things. Hayley mentioning Gia reminded him that he had a thousand years worth of amends to make. He really wasn't sure how he was going to do that. He was going to have to try to make a list.

"You okay over there?"

He turned and smiled at her. "Yeah. I'm fine. It's just occurred to me that now that I'm dead… I'm not the only one. You've been behind the red door in my head. You know what my past was like."

"Are you expecting me to turn on you, again? Elijah… I know that we're going to need to talk about that, eventually. About how much I hurt you." Her voice was breaking, sounding like she was holding back tears.

He wanted to take her into his arms, hold her tight, and reassure her that they were going to be okay. Except, he wasn't really sure of that, himself. Not yet. He was still waiting for her to change her mind about him. He sighed. Which was exactly what she was going through. Quite the pair, they were. He shook his head. "No, that isn't at all what I meant. I mean… a part of me is probably going to be worried for a while. I really don't deserve you, you know. But, no. I just meant… I have hurt a lot of people in my very long life, Hayley. I've killed a lot of people. Not as many as Niklaus, or Kol, but… I left my fair share of bodies in my wake, too. And now that I'm here, now that I'm dead, too… It's time I started making amends."

"Please don't tell me that you plan on putting your own peace on hold while you try to make up for a thousand years of doing what you needed to do to survive and protect your family."

He reached over and brushed a finger over her cheek. "And abandon you, yet again? No. You're at the top of my list, Hayley. I'm here. I'm here with you, and for you. I will never leave you, again. But, I am going to have to take time, at least once in a while, to track down my worst offenses and at least make my apologies."

"You are a strange man, Elijah."

He smirked. "But, you love me anyway."

She turned and smiled at him. "With all my heart." And then she stopped the car. "We're here."

Elijah looked out the window. They were in the bayou, parked in front of a cabin. "And, where exactly is here?"

Hayley just rolled her eyes. "Get out of the car, Elijah."

There was really nothing to do except do what he was told. And then he took Hayley's hand as she came around the front of the car to his side. Suddenly it occurred to him exactly where they probably were. She wanted him to meet someone. He was a thousand years old, and was about to have his first meet the parents moment. And he was terrified. "Is this really necessary? Can't it wait until I've had some time to adjust?"

Hayley squeezed his hand, but she also laughed. "Really, Elijah? You're afraid of my parents? You? You're a thousand year old vampire. An Original. You rip hearts out like it's nothing. You are the second biggest badass to ever walk the Earth. And you're going to freak out over meeting your girlfriend's parents?"

"My girlfriend, huh?"

Hayley rolled her eyes and then started pulling him to the cabin. "Come on. I promise that it'll be fine. They already like you. They already like us together. You have nothing to be afraid of. Now, stop acting like an overgrown teenager and let's go."

Elijah sighed and let Hayley lead him into the cabin where two people were waiting for them.

"So, you must be Elijah. It's nice to finally meet you. Not that we're really meeting you for the first time. We've obviously watched you a bit over the past several years."

Well, that was somehow even more terrifying. "You've watched me?" What the hell had just happened to his voice? He _squeaked_. He hadn't sounded like that since he was thirteen and his voice had stopped cracking. Hayley wasn't too far off. He really was turning into an overgrown teenager.

The man, Hayley's father, laughed. "Relax, Elijah. I'm not going to bite you. And I'm certainly not going to tell you to stay away from my daughter or any such nonsense. Yes, we've watched you some. After all, you've spent quite a bit of time with our daughter. We've been watching over your entire family, really. And, thank you."

Okay, he wasn't expecting that last line. "What, exactly, are you thanking me for?"

"For taking care of our little girl. For finally giving her a family."

He closed his eyes. "I didn't really take very good care of her, though." He couldn't help but think of all the times that he had hurt her. The times he didn't say the words she needed to hear. The times he chose Niklaus over her. The time… his mind shied away from that memory. He wasn't ready to face it, yet. But, then, there was the big one. The one that ended up snowballing until it led them here. This may be Heaven, but they still had to die to get here. He had taken her future from her. Of all of his many sins, he didn't know how to ask her to forgive him for that one.

Hayley's mother gave him a small smile. "That is a conversation you need to have with her. We have our opinions on it, but they can wait."

He could only nod. Yes, he needed to talk to Hayley about that. About all of it. All the ways he had hurt her. And, if he was being honest with himself, the ways she had hurt him. He could admit that, now. And he realized that trying to deny it wouldn't be fair to her. She deserved a chance to explain, to make her own amends, too. He squeezed her hand. "I am going to want to talk to the two of you about it, though. After all, you probably know better than anyone what it really did to her. She could hide from Freya and Hope, but considering the things she showed me today, hiding from you would be something else entirely."

"Are the three of you really sitting here making plans to talk about me behind my back?"

"I know you, Hayley. You'll try to sugarcoat it for me. And I don't need that. I need honesty. I need more honesty than I can ever expect you to give me. You're too good, too nurturing. Besides, if you think your father is really going to let it all go, you don't know men. If it was Hope, would you or Niklaus be willing to just let her handle it her way?"

"Later, okay? You three can talk about whatever you need to talk about later. Right now, I'm starting to regret bringing you here. I wouldn't have if I had known this was what you were going to start planning. Can we just have one night, please? Let you get used to this whole being dead thing before you try to explain yourself to my parents?"

"She's right, actually. And, besides, she deserves to be the first to hear it. Go. Talk to each other. Actually… no. Talking can wait until tomorrow. Go to one of those two big houses you own, find one of the many bedrooms in them and make it up to her."

"Daddy!"

"Oh please. You are hardly a child, Hayley. And I'm not going to sit here and try to fool myself that you are. Not when I've spent the past fifteen years watching over your daughter. I know that if I had spent nearly a decade away from your mother, I wouldn't want your grandparents, or anyone else for that matter, around for a _very_ long time once we were reunited. I mean it. Go get… reacquainted for a while. I'll see you guys… later."

Elijah couldn't help but laugh at the furious blush on Hayley's face. "You look like a tomato, right now, my love."

"I'm glad you're enjoying this. How are you not embarrassed right now?"

He shrugged. "I'm a thousand years old. You're the one that told me to stop acting like an overgrown teenager. So, no. I'm not going to let myself get embarrassed by someone commenting on my sex life. Even if that someone is my girlfriend's father. Because, he's right. We do need to talk. But, we need other things, too. Or at least I do. I've missed you. I… I thought that I was never going to see you again. Those days since I got my memories back were the longest in my life. Because you were gone. So, yes, Hayley. I intend to spend a very long time trying to make it up to you for all the ways I've hurt you. And yes, I fully intend for at least some of that apology to happen in bed. And I really don't care who knows it. Now, you can either sit here and let yourself get all embarrassed about the fact that your parents aren't stupid, or you can let me take you home. Your choice."

He had to laugh when she jumped up. "Take me home, Elijah. Because you've been missing me for two weeks. I've been missing you for seven years." And he just laughed harder when she pulled him out of the house and to the car. She tossed him the keys. "Drive, Elijah. Just drive."

"As you wish."


	10. Alone At Last

_Hayley and Elijah finally get some time alone and take full advantage of it - and learn that they don't need sleep, anymore. This chapter is almost pure smut. They have a lot of lost time to make up for._

 **~In This Life Or The Next~**

A short time later Elijah was closing the front door of the plantation house with Hayley's body and pressing himself tightly to her, his mouth hungry on hers, his hands roaming over her.

Not that her own hands were still. One hand had hold of the back of his head, holding him to her. The other skimmed down his chest to the waistband of his pants. And then lower. Elijah groaned into her mouth and then pressed that very impressive, and very hard, bulge tighter against her hand. She moaned and started caressing him through his pants. Which made him press himself even tighter to her. Damn! It was almost crazy how much of a turn-on it was knowing how badly he wanted her. No other man had ever made her feel this way. And now, he was hers. Forever. The movement of her hand against him got faster as the thought that she was going to get to experience this with him every day for all of eternity turned her on even more.

And then he got down to business himself. He didn't even bother with the buttons on her blouse. He just grabbed one side in each hand and ripped. Buttons went flying, soon followed by more as she returned the favor. Her bra received similar treatment.

Hayley moaned as Elijah kissed his way down her neck, across her collarbone, and then down her chest. Until her nipple was in his mouth and he was sucking hard. A moan that turned into a gasp as he slid his hand up her leg, under her skirt, until he was caressing her clit through the lace of her panties. "Elijah! Oh God!"

As Elijah rubbed his fingers against her again and again, Hayley slid her hands down his chest to the waistband of his pants. And then she ripped them open. Even the leather of his belt was no match for her. Whether that was her hybrid strength or just a product of her lust, she didn't know and didn't care. All she cared about was feeling Elijah against her skin. She shoved her hand inside his pants and wrapped it around him.

Elijah groaned around her breast, the vibrations adding to Hayley's pleasure and making her moan again. But then his mouth left her breast and his skilled fingers left her clit, making her whimper with need. Not that she had time to worry that he was leaving her. His hand slid up, found the waistband of her panties, and then slid inside. He looked her straight in the eye as he slid his hand down, his fingertips skimming over her clit until he found her core. He kept eye contact, letting her see his desire, as he plunged two fingers into her to the hilt. She cried out, and he smiled. "That's it, Hayley. Let me hear you." He pulled his fingers out and then plunged them back into her, eliciting another cry of pleasure.

He finally broke eye contact, then. Lowering his head, he brought his mouth to her ear. "You feel so good, Hayley. So damned good. I've missed you, so much. I've missed this."

Not that Hayley could respond. Not when Elijah's fingers were moving in and out of her like that. Especially not when his thumb found her clit and started rubbing against her in the exact same rhythm. She couldn't respond in coherent words, but she also couldn't have held back her moans, gasps, and cries of pleasure if her existence had depended on it. All of Louisiana probably knew that Elijah was back in her arms, doing incredibly delicious things to her body, and she really didn't care. She tightened her hand around him, and started stroking up and down in the same rhythm of his fingers moving inside her and his thumb rubbing against her. An action that caused his groans of pleasure to match her moans. And him to add a third finger and pick up the pace.

A pace that she still matched. They were feeding off of each others' pleasure, now. Each groan from Elijah caused Hayley to tighten her hand more. And her moans made his fingers and thumb stroke harder, faster. And every time he picked up his pace, Hayley matched him.

"God, Hayley. You have to stop. I'm going to…"

"I want you to. Don't hold back, Elijah. Please."

And that did it. He started thrusting into her hand, while his own hand still worked on driving her as crazy as she was apparently driving him. The last thing she heard before his skillful fingers brought her to an Earth-shattering release and she screamed his name, was him moaning her name as he spilled himself over her hand.

When she finally came back to herself, Elijah was wiping her hand with his shirt, a stunned expression on his face. "You didn't have to do that. I…"

"What, you think I didn't enjoy it? I liked knowing I could do that to you. That I have that kind of power over you. Besides, using your logic, you didn't have to do what you did, either. And do not stand here and try to tell me that it's different."

He smiled. "Okay. I see your point. Though it is slightly different. You didn't just make a mess all over the place."

Hayley just laughed and shook her head. "Elijah, do me a favor and just shut up and kiss me."

"As you wish." He dropped his shirt on the floor and wrapped his arms around her, bringing his lips to hers for a searching kiss. A kiss that very quickly turned passionate, once again. Within minutes, Hayley was wet and ready for more. She pressed her hips against Elijah, and gasped as she felt that he was hard for her, again. Okay, being dead definitely had its perks.

And she needed him. His fingers had felt amazing inside her, but she needed more. She needed to be filled, completely. She grabbed his waistband above each hip and pulled, ripping his pants off of him. Her reward was a moan, and then Elijah doing the same thing to her skirt, and then to her panties.

And then his mouth left hers to skim down her neck, down her chest. Before she realized what he intended, he was on his knees in front of her, trailing kisses across her stomach, and then lower. She cried out. But then she pulled on his head, pulling him up. "Later." She whispered in his ear. "I want that, so much. But right now, I need you. Please. I need to be filled by you, to hold you in my arms while you move inside me."

He nodded and kissed her. His lips moved over hers, as his hands skimmed down her back, over her ass, to the backs of her thighs and he lifted her. His tongue plunged into her mouth at the same moment that his body plunged into hers, and he swallowed her moans. Hayley wrapped her legs around his waist, and moaned again as he pulled most of the way out of her, and then plunged back in. And then again. And again.

With every thrust, Elijah groaned, and Hayley moaned. Elijah lowered them to the floor, and started thrusting harder, faster. Hayley just wrapped her arms and legs around him. Her hands moving restlessly over his back as she held him to her, rising up to meet every powerful thrust. She had missed this. She had missed _him_. Missed the way only he could make her feel. Because this wasn't just physical. It never had been, between them. And now… This was a promise. A vow that this time, there wouldn't be a goodbye. This time it was forever. She was so close, so damned close. And then Elijah reached between their bodies and started rubbing her clit in time with his thrusts and she shattered. "Elijah! Oh God, yes! Yes, Elijah, yes!"

"Hayley! Yes, Hayley!" The sound of Elijah yelling her name as he found his release inside her was the sweetest sound she had ever heard. And she wanted to hear it again.

Christ! What this man did to her! She had already had two of the most intense orgasms she had ever experienced in her existence, and all she could think about was how long it would take her to make him ready to take her, again.

Though, maybe they could take a short break, now. At least long enough to move further into the house. Not that she would particularly mind having another round here in the foyer. She smiled up at him. "You know, at some point tonight, we should probably find a bed. I mean… if you want to go again, right now, I am certainly more than up for it, but…"

"But, this floor is hard, and cold. And you deserve better…" He had a decidedly Elijah-like look on his face, and Hayley sighed.

"Elijah Mikaelson, if you even _think_ about apologizing, I will smack you. I'm pretty sure that I made it very obvious that I was loving every second of that. And I seriously just want you again, and would be thrilled to have that happen right here, right now, on this hard, cold floor. Because I can't seem to get enough of you, right now."

But then, he was off of her, and standing up. She stood up herself, and took a step towards him. There was a wicked gleam in his eyes. And somehow, the next thing Hayley knew, she was in Elijah's bed, legs spread wide, with Elijah's head between them. She gripped his hair and held him to her as his lips and tongue moved over her. His hands were on her ass, holding her to him as he devoured her. She screamed as another orgasm washed over her.

She pulled him up her body until she could kiss him. She couldn't help but moan as she tasted herself on him. And then she broke the kiss and smiled at him before pushing him over onto his back and climbing on top of him. "Your turn" she whispered as she started kissing a path down his chest.

But, he stopped her. "Later. Right now, I just need you. Please, Hayley."

How could she possibly deny him? Especially when it was what she wanted, too? She nodded, and sat up, lifted herself off of him, and then plunged back down, taking him inside. They both cried out at the sensation. And then she started to move. It didn't take long before she was once again nearing that peak that only Elijah could really bring her to. She threw her head back gasping and moaning while she moved over him, faster and faster. And then his hands were on her hips, helping her move while he thrust up into her. Until she felt him pulsing inside her as he came, which sent her over the edge again. And then she collapsed on top of him, and he held her close, his hands gently rubbing up and down her back.

Hayley learned something that night. While sleep could still be a thing, here, it was more emotional exhaustion that had caused her to need it, before. She and Elijah made love several more times that night. Their need for each other overriding every other physical need she thought she still had. Later, after they had taken more of the edge off, they enjoyed slower lovemaking sessions. But, no matter how gentle Elijah tried to be with her, neither of them could handle slow and gentle for long. There was a desperation to it. It wasn't too hard to figure out where it had come from. They were both still trying to let themselves believe that this was real, that they really were together.

For Hayley, it was hard to believe that Elijah was really there. She had been prepared to spend millennia watching over him, waiting for him. Had been prepared to watch him fall in love with someone else. Had been prepared to end up waiting for someone who didn't want to be with her anymore by the time she saw him again. No matter how much the others tried to tell her differently, she never really believed that she was all that special. Even after watching what remembering her did to him, she didn't quite believe it. Yes, he had loved her. But, he was immortal. And a lot could happen in thousands of years. She fully expected him to eventually move on and forget about her.

She didn't know what he was thinking, not really. But, she could guess. He never expected to see her again. He had no way of knowing that the afterlife existed. He had no way of knowing that she was waiting for him. And even if he could somehow know that, even after Hope delivered her message and he knew that there was more, that there was an afterlife, and that Hayley still loved him and still wanted to be with him, there was still that doubt. Because he had spent a thousand years doing whatever he needed to do to protect his family. Elijah had had serious doubts about whether he would even make it to the same afterlife Hayley did.

No, neither of them ever expected to be here, together. Especially not now. Eventually, they were going to have to talk about that, too. About how they should have been immortal, they should have lived forever. And yet, here they were. He had sacrificed himself to save her daughter. Given up forever for her. And even now, even as they made love again and again, she wasn't sure how to make that up to him.


	11. The Morning After

_Hayley and Elijah start talking about the past sixteen years. Until they get interrupted by a very unwelcome guest._

 **~In This Life Or The Next~**

Eventually, things settled down between them. Elijah was finally content to just hold Hayley in his arms. But, he knew that this couldn't last. There were things they needed to talk about. Sixteen years worth of things they needed to talk about. He wasn't looking forward to that conversation, but it needed to happen. Because he knew that otherwise it would always be there, hanging over their heads. He took a deep breath. He wasn't sure if he actually needed to breathe, here, but a thousand years of habit didn't go away easily. "Hayley. We put it off to… umm… enjoy our reunion. But… we do need to talk about a few things."

"I know. But, can't it wait? We have Eternity, Elijah."

"You know it can't. You know that if we don't talk about it, we're both going to always be wondering. Neither of us is going to be able really trust that this is real. I'm not stupid, Hayley. If you think that I don't know that not all of what happened between us last night was just you missing me, then you don't know me very well. I know that there was more to it."

Hayley sighed. "I did miss you, though. For seven years, I've missed you. I tried to replace you, to move on. Knowing that you were happy, and… that you were seeing someone… I tried to let that be the end of us. I wrote you that letter that I couldn't send. And I met someone, and he fell in love with me. And I tried to convince myself that I loved him, too. But, he wasn't you. And you were it for me. You have always been it for me. So, yes, Elijah. I missed you. I don't know what else you want me to say."

"Don't. Please. I told you not to sugarcoat this for me. Tell me the rest, Hayley. Please. Because, right now… I'm having a really hard time forgiving myself."

She shifted then, lifting herself up a bit so that she could look at him. "And what do you need to forgive yourself for?"

He gave a humorless laugh. "Having my memories erased. Standing there and watching you die…"

"Shh. You're with me, now. Let the past stay in the past. I told you once before, Elijah. I live in the now."

"Yes, but we are in this particular 'now' because of decisions and actions on my part that I wish like Hell I could take back. And I feel like I owe you an explanation. Please. I'm not going to be okay until we've talked about this." That was a low blow, and he knew it. But, it was also the absolute truth. Until they had talked this out, it would be hanging over his head, marring the peace he had finally found in her arms.

She sighed. "I know that you're right. I know that it's also the same for me. I just… I just want to ignore it for a little while longer, you know? But, you're right. And my dad is right. We need to talk about this, as hard as it might be. So… where do we start?"

That was actually a good question. He had brought this up with talking about his biggest offenses. But, now, he wasn't sure he was really ready to go there, just yet. "You know what? Maybe we should start at the beginning." He couldn't help but chuckle at the quizzical look on her face. "You once told me that you have felt 'everything' for me from the day we met. The feeling was mutual, Hayley. It was always mutual. It was love at first sight. You walked out and I saw you, and… I am a thousand years old. And I can't help thinking that you are the real reason for that. Because you are my soulmate. A thousand years, to bring me to you."

"Well, aren't you quite the charmer?"

"I mean it, though. When I saw you, it was like something had kicked me in the gut. I had this little voice in my head telling me that I had just met the woman I was meant to spend the rest of my life with it. It was you, Hayley. It was always you. But, I was too old, too set in my ways, to really admit it to myself, much less to anyone else. Oh, Rebekah saw it. I think that Niklaus did, too." He sighed. "It was because of Niklaus that I couldn't let myself admit it. You were pregnant with his child. And, I didn't care about that in terms of how I felt about you. But… a thousand years of habit is hard to break. And I had put him first for so long. Trying to atone for not protecting him from my father. So that even then, even with you… I assumed that there had to have been something between the two of you. And I was willing to step back. In a way, I did that at first. Took a step back and waited for him to figure out what he wanted from you. It was stupid. Especially since you had made it clear that he wasn't the one you wanted. I…"

Hayley sighed. "I get it, I think. I mean, it's a little hard for me, since I'm an only child. So, the first time in my life that I started putting someone else ahead of what I wanted was when I realized that I wanted Hope. But, I think I understand. Though, you _were_ being kind of ridiculous. If we're being completely honest with each other, there were times when I wondered if I was imagining the way I would catch you looking at me, sometimes. I wasn't used to guys like you. Guys who didn't just take what they wanted. That little dance we were having with each other was so new to me." She took a deep breath. "Speaking of dances… do you remember that party? The one where you tried to bring the factions together, and it almost turned into a free for all?"

Elijah couldn't help but smile at that. "I do. You looked so beautiful. And holding you in my arms while we danced… I didn't want that night to end." He sighed. "And then Jackson cut in. And he was the one who told you how beautiful you looked. And my stupid vampire hearing, I heard every word. And all I could think was that I should have told you that."

"Yeah. You should have. You know that I only let Jackson cut in because I was mad at you, right?" His confusion must have shown on his face because she giggled. "Well, not really mad at you, just… I was trying to force your hand, I guess. Trying to make you jealous in the hopes that you would actually say the words I thought I saw in your eyes. It was a stupid, childish game. And I wish I hadn't done it. I wish I had just been an adult and been honest with you, myself. Maybe it was too soon for you, maybe you still wouldn't have been able to say it back even if you knew for sure how I felt about you. But, it would have certainly made more sense than what I did."

"You were young, and you were new at this. And I was being ridiculous." He smiled then. "I was so proud of you, that night. When you were the one who kept that party from turning into a massacre. I had been so angry at you for interrupting my meeting, because I thought that you were undermining what I was trying to do. And then, you go and prove that not only did the wolves deserve a seat at that table, but you should be the one to take it. That was my first glimpse of the werewolf Alpha you were born to be. And it was stunning. And I was so proud. Even though that seemed like a silly feeling to have. I mean, it wasn't like you were mine in any way. Why I should be proud of you was beyond me. I'm not making any sense."

"No, you are. I get it. And I knew. I could see it in your eyes at the next meeting. The way you looked at me when I signed the treaty. And, if I'm being honest, it made me feel good to know that I had made you proud." She took a deep breath, and he knew what she was about to say before she said it. "Elijah, I am so sorry for conspiring with Jackson and Oliver. I swear to you, I wasn't trying to undermine the peace you were trying to build in the city. It would have been really stupid for me to. You were just trying to give my daughter a home…" She stopped then.

Elijah lifted his head. "Go on, what were you starting to say?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. It doesn't matter. I mean, Cami already explained it, I think. So, I don't know that we really need to rehash it, right now."

"No. Don't do this, Hayley. Not now. What were you going to say?"

"That maybe that home didn't need to be New Orleans. That instead of sending Hope away, we should have all run. Which, is stupid. Because if we had done that, then maybe all it would have done was get us all killed. After all, would we have ever beaten Dahlia without Freya? And would Freya have found us if we had left New Orleans? I get it, Elijah. I do. The three of you had spent a thousand years on the run, looking over your shoulders, waiting for one or both of your parents to find you. You wanted better for me and Hope. You wanted to give us a home. But, when I think of all that we gave up to try to achieve that… I just wish there had been an easier way."

Elijah nodded. "I hated sending her away. I hated that you and Niklaus had to miss those months with her. And I wished like Hell that there was another way. Do not think for one minute that I didn't consider leaving. Send Hope away, let the city see us mourn her so they would believe her to be dead. And then leave town. Go to her, and make a life for ourselves somewhere else. Just run, one last time. But… it was my mother we would be running from. And I don't know that there is anywhere on this planet that we could have hidden from her. At least, not for long. For Hope's sake, we had to make a stand. If we didn't want her to inherit our enemies, we had to eliminate those enemies. Starting with our parents. I wish it could have been different. But it was the only way. Hope has a home, now, Hayley. She has an entire city that will stand by her. You, Freya, Josh, and Vincent… you did it. You finished what we started at that meeting. Oh, there are still issues. You can't have four separate species trying to coexist like that and not have some issues. But, for the most part, the city is united. And you did that."

"We didn't really have much choice. You didn't give us much choice."

Okay, that didn't make a whole lot of sense to him. "What do you mean by that?"

"Just that with you gone the way you were, leaving town wasn't an option for me. Because if your memories ever started leaking back, New Orleans is where you would look for me. I had to be there if and when that happened. Just because you had abandoned me, didn't mean I wanted to turn the tables and abandon you, too."

He didn't know what to say to that. And just as he opened his mouth to try to stammer out an apology, there was the sound of someone pounding on the door downstairs.

 **~In This Life Or The Next~**

Hayley swore. "Elijah. I'm sorry. I didn't mean that the way it came out."

"No, you are absolutely right. I did abandon you. And we are going to have to talk about that. But, apparently, that is going to have to wait. Because whoever is downstairs seems very determined to talk to one of us."

And then they heard Jackson yelling. "Hayley, let me in. I know that I'm not your favorite person, right now. But, nobody will tell me what's going on. Hope is a wreck, right now. I know Cami said she's going to be okay, but _something_ happened down there. And nobody will tell me what."

"I'm going to kill him. I don't know if it's possible to kill him. But I am damn well going to try. I can't do this, right now!" She was shaking. She had just cruelly shattered Elijah's heart into a million pieces. And she wasn't even going to be given a chance to explain, to take it back. Because her damned ex-husband refused to wrap his brain around the the "ex" part of that title. She got out of the bed and went to the closet. Part of her wanted to just walk down there like this, but Jackson's days of seeing her naked were over. That was a sight for Elijah's eyes only, now. She grabbed one of Elijah's shirts and pulled it on, then ran down the stairs, buttoning the shirt as she went.

As she passed the mirror in the hallway, she couldn't help but notice how messy her hair was. It was going to be very obvious that she had had a very rough night. And then she swallowed a laugh. And the state the foyer was in was going to leave no doubt as to exactly what she had been doing all night. Good. Maybe he would finally get it through his fucking head. She opened the door.

Jackson was standing there, a concerned look on his face. Maybe she would think it was sweet if it hadn't been for what he had interrupted. As it was, she just wanted to get this over with so she could get back to Elijah and try to fix the way she had just hurt him. And then Jackson started to reach for her. Oh, there was a part of her brain that could recognize that he was just trying to give her a friendly hug. To comfort her for whatever had Hope so upset. And whatever had caused her to look the way she did. She tried to tell herself that he was there because he didn't know what was going on. And that he had no way of knowing exactly what he had interrupted.

As she stepped back, out of his reach, she noticed him looking around. And she saw in his eyes the minute he realized what she had really been doing all night. "Elijah died, last night? That's what Hope's so upset about?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but yes. Elijah died last night."

"Well, then. It didn't take long at all for you to jump into his bed, did it?" He looked around the room. "Oh, I guess it did take a while to actually get to the bedroom. So, while your daughter was hurting, you were here, fucking her uncle. Real classy, Hayley."

"Do not start with me, Jackson. I don't need to explain myself to you. Who I sleep with is none of your fucking business."

"You couldn't even wait, could you? You couldn't even be bothered to keep an eye on your daughter."

"Hope knew damned well that Elijah was coming to me. She told him that she wanted us to be happy and to not worry about her. There is nothing I can do for her from up here. All I can do is trust Klaus to take care of his daughter. The whole family is together. Even Caroline is with them. And it has been far too long since Elijah and I were together. We had a lot of lost time to make up for." She couldn't help the cruel smile she gave him. "And we did make up for lost time. Repeatedly. Now, if you'll excuse me, my boyfriend and I were in the middle of something extremely private when you so rudely started pounding on the door." And with that, she slammed the door in Jackson's face and went back upstairs to Elijah. She still didn't know how to apologize for what she had said. But, it turned out that that was going to have to wait, anyway.

 **~In This Life Or The Next~**

"That was rather cruel, Hayley."

"I'm not going to apologize for it. The man has been acting like we're still married ever since I got here. No matter how many times I try to tell him that we're not, and that I'm in love with you, and intend to wait for you. He didn't seem to want to get it. Well, now he got it. I'm betting that his imagination is burning images of how the foyer got into the state it's in into his brain. And I'm glad. Let him imagine the two of us making love. Repeatedly. Let him get it through his thick skull that I chose you."

"Oh, I'm not saying he didn't deserve it. He was being quite mean to you, as well. I'm just saying that there might have been a more… diplomatic way of handling that."

Hayley shrugged. "You're the diplomatic one, Elijah. I'm the one that says what's on her mind, and doesn't take people's shit. I always have been. You damn well know that. And it hasn't changed. If anything, that particular character trait has intensified. It had to. For seven years, Freya, Josh, Vincent, and I were the ones holding New Orleans together. You commented on that, yourself. How do you think we did that, Elijah? I could be diplomatic with them. But, when I stepped into the bayou, I had to be the Alpha. The queen. Holding that city together wasn't easy."

"No, I can't imagine that it was. And, if I'm being honest, your candor is one of the things I love about you. Honestly, I'm more upset because you just put Jackson at the top of my list of people I need to talk to. And I'm not really looking forward to that conversation."

She smirked at him then. "Oh you poor baby." And then her smirk turned into a wickedly seductive grin and her hands moved to the top button of the shirt she was wearing as a dress. "I guess I should make that up to you, shouldn't I?"

"Hayley… As much as I would like to, we can't spend all of our time in this bed."

"Why not?" She started undoing her buttons. "This is supposed to be Heaven, Elijah. I can't think of anything more Heavenly than being naked in your arms."

"I have…" She was making it impossible to think. "I have people I do need to talk to. You may be at the very top of my list, but you aren't the only one on it. I can't…" She slipped the shirt off of her shoulders and threw it at him. "Dammit, Hayley, you are not making this easy."

"I'm not trying to make it easy. I'm trying to make it very hard." Her gaze slid down to his groin and back up. "It looks like I succeeded."

He had to laugh at that. "Hayley…"

"You said I was at the top of your list. Well, I just had a very distressing conversation, and could use some comfort. Besides, you really need to give Jackson time to cool down a bit. He's not going to listen to anything you have to say, right now. So, why don't you help me blow off some steam, for a while? I promise, I won't keep you in this bed all day. As long as you promise to come back to me, tonight. And let me help you blow off some steam yourself?"

Elijah just shook his head and smiled. How could he ever deny her? "Get over here." And within minutes, she was beneath him, and he was listening to her moans of pleasure while he moved inside her. No, they couldn't spend Eternity in this bed. But it was damn tempting.


	12. Making Amends

_Elijah has a quick chat with Cami before heading to the bayou to have things out with Jackson._

 **~In This Life Or The Next~**

It was a few hours before he finally wandered into Rousseau's. He had no idea if Cami would actually be there, but if she wasn't he would just figure things out on his own.

"Well, well, well. Elijah Mikaelson. I didn't expect to see you in here anytime soon."

Elijah frowned. That made no sense. "Hayley explained about you being able to tell when someone you care about is upset. I thought that you and Niklaus…"

She laughed. "Oh, I knew you had died. You're right. I picked up on Klaus and Hope. I actually watched it happen. Which I shouldn't have. I was the one who told everyone else to stay away and let Hayley and your mother handle this themselves. But, I knew that Hayley would be back here the second you died. Esther would be dealing with her other four children and her granddaughter all being in mourning. I didn't want to leave her to deal with that alone." She shrugged. "So, yeah. I knew you had died. I just figured that you and Hayley would be holed up somewhere making up for lost time."

He felt himself blush. When was the last time something had made him blush, anyway? "We did spend a very enjoyable evening together. But, there are some things I need to take care of. A thousand years worth of amends to make."

"I hope you aren't here because you think you owe me something? We're fine."

"I am glad to hear you say that. Because I had thought so, too. But, you never really know, I guess. There could have been some slight or wrongdoing I had forgotten about. But, no. I'm here because I suspect that you could tell me Jackson Kenner's preferred drink and provide me with some?"

Cami choked. "Jackson Kenner? The man whose ex-wife you just spent 'a very enjoyable evening' with? I gotta hand it to you, Elijah. You've got balls."

"Yes, well. A thousand years of immortality bordering on invulnerability will do that to you. I admit that starting with him was not exactly my first choice. But, he came to the plantation house, this morning. I fear that the state of the foyer left no doubts about what we had been doing. He reacted badly to that, which Hayley then reacted badly to. So, now I feel like I should deal with that situation before it gets worse. Everyone else has waited this long, they can wait a little longer. Jackson's pain is fresh."

"Wow! I don't know if it's death or getting laid. But, whatever it is that knocked that stick out of your ass, I kind of like it. I just hope you aren't planning on making all of your amends before you let yourself be happy with Hayley. You do deserve that happiness, Elijah."

"No. I'll be doing this a little at a time. And going home to Hayley at night. After all, she's at the very top of my list. We have a lot to talk about." He shook his head and chuckled. "She has also made it very clear that…" He stopped, then, and wondered if he looked as embarrassed as he felt. And why was he embarrassed, anyway? He hadn't been when Hayley's _father_ was making insinuations about their sex life. Why was talking to Cami about it making him feel that way?

"Oh no. You don't get to stop there. What did she make very clear?"

And that was why. Because he knew that Cami wasn't going to let anything go. "She made it very clear that I am going to be making a lot of my apologies in bed."

"Oh, you poor baby. Being expected to have sex with the love of your life. Whatever will you do? How _will_ you manage?"

He laughed. "I never said I was complaining. Anyway… Jackson. Alcohol. Lots and lots of alcohol."

"Right." She reached under the bar. "And what would you have done if I wasn't here? I mean, I don't actually work here, anymore, you know. Honestly, I was just here because it was the easiest place for the others to find me." She put a case of beer on the bar. "Jackson has pretty simple tastes. If you would like some scotch or something for yourself, I can get you some. But, he's a beer man."

"No, beer is fine. And if you weren't here, I would have just figured it out on my own. I'd like to think that I'm fairly intelligent." He picked up the case of beer. "And now, to go deal with my girlfriend's ex-husband. I am really not looking forward to this."

"Well, maybe it's just as well. You can get this taken care of, now. Go home to Hayley, tonight. And just let yourself be happy for a bit before you deal with the rest. Dare I even ask how long your list is?"

He shrugged. "I'm a thousand years old. And not everyone I hurt deserved it. It's a pretty long list. Though, I intend to start with my worst offenses. The ones that… the ones that the apology would be personal. In all honesty, if I tried to talk to everyone I've ever hurt, even everyone I killed… it would take me another thousand years. And I don't know that I even remember all of them. Which… just makes it worse, really."

Cami sighed. "Elijah… do what you have to do. Talk to some of the people you particularly want to make amends to. Spend time with your girlfriend. But, eventually, you and I are going to have to have a talk, too."

He frowned again. "I thought that you said that we were okay? Cami, you are a friend. If I owe you an apology for something, Jackson can wait."

"No. This isn't for me. I'm still a shrink, Elijah. You need to talk to me. Or would you rather go to a stranger? Because I can actually diagnose you, right now. Codependency, PTSD, OCD. You have issues, Elijah. And obviously your death didn't solve all of them. I'm not saying we need to talk later because I think you owe me something. It's the other way around. I'm offering my services. At least consider it, okay?"

"Well, doesn't that just make me sound like the picture of mental health? You make me sound like a danger to myself and others."

Cami rolled her eyes. "Not at all. Honestly, Elijah, with the things you've been through, I'd be worried about you if you _didn't_ have issues. Anyone that can live the life you've lived and _not_ have at _least_ PTSD, could quite possibly be diagnosed with sociopathy. That wasn't a dig. It was me trying to be a friend. I mean, for all I know, death actually helped with it. And I'm hardly going to discourage your attempt to make amends for the wrongs you've done in your life. Well… as a friend I want to tell you to just hide in Hayley's bed for a few decades, but as your psychiatrist, I understand why you need to do this."

"All right. I will come talk to you. But later. Let me adjust to being dead before you start psychoanalyzing me, okay?"

"Of course. Now go. I'm sure you'd like to get the next stop on the Elijah Mikaelson apology tour out of the way."

"I'll be seeing you, Cami. And thank you. For everything."

 **~In This Life Or The Next~**

"You've got a lot of nerve, coming here right now."

Elijah sat the case of beer Cami had given him on the ground, took out a bottle, and handed it to Jackson. "Maybe I do. And maybe I'm not even really doing this for myself. Or for you. Maybe I'm doing it because Hayley doesn't deserve to be at the center of a damned pissing contest between the two of us. She made her choice, Jackson."

"Yeah. And I'm sure that had she chosen me, you would be just fine, right?"

"I'd accept it. I never said I would be fine with it. Whether she chose you, or was waiting for Declan. I would accept it. You think I don't know how badly I hurt her? You think I don't know that I don't deserve her? I know that, Jackson. Probably better than anyone. I can't change the past. All I can do is try to make up for it."

Jackson snorted. "Is that what you were doing last night? Making up for how much you hurt her?"

Elijah really wanted to smack some sense into the guy, but knew that that wouldn't really help anything. "Yes, actually, it was. I was hardly going to complain about her wanting me. I love her, Jackson. I have always loved her. And I'm not going to apologize for that. One of my biggest regrets is not telling her sooner. Letting her go through with marrying you. I should have told her when she told me about the unification ritual that I loved her and to find another way to help her people. But, I was stupid. I put my own needs behind what I thought was best for her and her daughter."

"Your niece."

"Don't start, Jackson. Yes, she is my niece's mother. That has never really mattered to either of us. But, that's not the point, here. The point is, that she did choose you, once. And I stood back and I let her. Because I loved her and wanted her to be happy. And yeah. You told me that all I had to do was wait. But if you think I wasn't well aware that I could end up losing her, that she could end up really falling for you and I wouldn't be what she wanted, anymore, even after you were gone? I knew that. It was a risk I had to take. For Hope's sake. And then, my worst nightmare happened. She chose you. She called me and told me that she couldn't be a part of my family, anymore." He closed his eyes against the memory of that pain. The pain he never even let his siblings see. He had never told anyone how much that had hurt. And then he realized that he was going to have to add that to the list of things he needed to talk to Hayley about. Could he really do that? Could he really bring himself to tell her how much that had hurt him? How it had hurt to watch her marry another man?

"All my life, Elijah. All my life I had it drilled into me that I was supposed to marry Andrea Labonair. Which is weird, considering she was gone. I guess somehow my grandmother and my parents always knew that she had survived. That she would come back to us, one day. And then she did. And she was beautiful, and brave, and strong. She was a natural-born leader. An Alpha at her core. She was everything I ever imagined she would be and more. And she was pregnant with another man's child. Which I could deal with. I even made a cradle for her. I was fine with the idea of being a stepfather. After all, she didn't have any feelings for Klaus. But, there was another problem. A bigger problem. She was in love with someone else. She was in love with you. I found her too late."

"I don't know what you expect me to say."

"Nothing. What can you say? Among the many qualities we both love about that girl is that she's headstrong. She doesn't take shit from anyone. And she does what she damn well wants. You say that she chose me, at least for a little while. But she never really did. She chose Hope. I was never more than a means to an end. When she planned on running away with me, it wasn't to be with me. It was to save Hope. And I can't fault her for that. She's a mother. Putting her child first is what she's supposed to do, right? But, it was never about me. It was always you that she loved. I was never more than a means to an end."

"That isn't quite true, you know. She didn't love you when you first got married. Nobody is going to try to claim differently. But, she did come to love you. Enough that even after you were gone, she admitted that she loved me, but still refused to do anything about it out of respect for you. Who knows how long she would have stood by that if it hadn't been for Lucian." He gave a humorless laugh. "Maybe I should find him and thank him. But, we had it driven home that even my siblings and I could die. We didn't have forever to deal with our issues, anymore. But, she did choose you, Jackson. At least for a while. She chose her memory of you over me."

"Yeah, but that was always going to be temporary, wasn't it? Even without Lucian, and Finn's death… she would have gone to you, eventually. There's no way she wouldn't have." He sighed. "You're her soulmate. I guess I've known that for a while, now. And I guess that she's right. Maybe I didn't really love her the way I thought."

Elijah frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

"She told me that if I really loved her, I would want her to be happy. She mentioned your fiancee and how her biggest fear was that Klaus intended to let her die, that you were going to be put through that kind of pain. She was prepared to watch you marry someone else. To be waiting for someone who wouldn't want her anymore by the time he got here. I could never do that for her." He finished his beer and grabbed another one. "So, maybe she's right. Maybe I didn't really love her. But, God! Seeing her, this morning. At first I thought something horrible had happened. I mean, Hope was really upset. And then I got to the plantation house and Hayley definitely looked like she had had a rough night. I was about to try to give her a hug, to try to comfort her and help her deal with whatever was happening down there. And then I noticed the clothes scattered around, and realized what had really been going on."

"I'm not going to apologize for loving her, Jackson. And I'm not going to apologize for what happened between us last night. We missed each other. I couldn't help how badly I needed to be close to her. But, I will apologize for how you found out. I wish that someone had told you that I had died and Hayley was with me. You deserved better than that."

"Honestly, I almost think the Labonairs wanted me to find out like that. I mean, I went to them first. They told me that what was going on was a family matter, and that Cami had been right to tell us to stay away. That what was going on was something Hayley and Esther needed to deal with in their own ways. And then I was told that while they thought I should stay away and let Hayley handle this herself, if I was really that adamant about talking to her, I should try the compound or the plantation house. They knew, Elijah. They knew that she was with you, and they sent me to find out for myself rather than just tell me that."

"Maybe you should ask them why. Find out just what they hoped to accomplish by that."

Jackson shook his head. "No need. I already know. They figured it would be more likely for it to finally get through my thick skull that Hayley isn't my wife, anymore if I actually caught her with you than if they just told me about you. I'm just glad that I knocked instead of just walking in. The thought that I could have actually seen the two of you together…" He shuddered, and Elijah had to wince in sympathy. "Imagining it was bad enough. I don't think I could have handled seeing it. I honestly don't know what her parents were thinking. Why they seem to be trying to hurt me. Dammit! They once _wanted_ me to marry her! I don't understand why they seem to hate me so much, now. I don't know what I did."

Elijah had some ideas, but he wasn't about to share them. Not right now. Maybe not ever. He stood up. "Look, if we're okay… there are other people I need to see. To say nothing of owing Hayley about sixteen years worth of explanations. And Jackson, for what it's worth… I'm not going to deny that Hayley and I had sex last night. But, the 'extremely private' thing you interrupted when you came over this morning was a talk. That's all. We have a lot we have to talk about. And she had said something kind of hurtful right before you started pounding on the door. So, she wasn't in the best of moods at that particular moment. I think that's why she was as blunt and cruel as she was. She was angry at herself and lashed out at you over it. That wasn't fair of her. Now, I'm not going to apologize for her. That's not my place. She's a grown woman, and she will talk to you when she's ready to. But, I just wanted you to know."

"Not that it really matters. Like you said, you may not have been having sex at that moment, but it doesn't really change anything. But… if I'm being honest, I was way meaner than I needed to be, too. I guess I was just stupidly hurt. I mean, it's one thing to have her tell me that she chose you, and had no plans except to wait for you. It's something else entirely to see clothes scattered all over your damned foyer and realize that the two of you had had sex _right there_ where I was standing. I guess I lashed out, too. And I was wrong. But… that's a conversation for me to have with her. But, Elijah… if you ever hurt her, again… It may not be possible to kill you, but don't think I won't enjoy trying."

Elijah chuckled. "Next time you decide to try to talk to her, call first. I'm going to be honest, there is no other way to guarantee you won't be walking in on something. I really have missed her."

"Yeah. Thanks for the heads up. I guess I'll see you around. After all, you have family out here, too, right? I can't expect you to stay out of the bayou with your brothers here, and all. Go on, find someone else to talk to. You and I have probably said all there really is to say, right now."

Elijah just nodded and walked away. He was already in his car and halfway home before it really clicked what Jackson had just said. Elijah's brothers. Brothers. Plural. Finn. And Henrik. Henrik was around somewhere. He stopped the car and put his head on the steering wheel, gasping for the breath he was pretty sure he didn't actually need, here. He wasn't even sure what he was supposed to say to Finn when he saw him, again. But Henrik? The baby brother he hadn't seen in a thousand years?

He was still trying to wrap his brain around it all when his phone rang. Hayley. With hands still shaking, he hit the accept button. "I'm on my way home, sweetheart. I'll be there soon." Just as soon as he got himself under control, again.

"Good. Because I have a surprise for you. See you soon. I love you."

"I love you, too." And then he ended the call and put the car back into gear, wondering what Hayley's surprise could be. Because something about the tone of her voice had him almost dreading it. She actually sounded a little worried.


	13. An Unexpected Family Reunion

_Realizing that Finn and Henrik have to be around somewhere, and actually seeing them are two different things. But, how will Elijah handle realizing the other implication of Henrik's death so very long ago?_

 **~In This Life Or The Next~**

He should have realized. Even here, there were really no such thing as coincidences. It should have occurred to him just what Hayley's surprise that had her sounding a bit worried would turn out to be. But, it didn't occur to him. It was, in fact, the furthest thing from his mind. Despite him actually thinking about exactly that when she called him.

"Hey there, little brother. I'd say that it's good to see you, but… it's way too soon."

Elijah closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Finn. It's good to see you, Finn. I… I'm sorry. I don't really know what to say. I don't know how to… I'm sorry."

Finn just shook his head and pulled Elijah into a hug. "Welcome home, little brother. It's okay. You don't have to say anything. I know that we were never really close. But, that was before. I hope that now, here, that can change."

"Finn really has changed for the better since he died, Elijah. I've come to really like the man he's become. I know that you've had your issues, but since most of them seemed to stem from him hating being a vampire and being immortal, well… those issues don't exist, here."

Elijah could only nod as he returned his older brother's hug. "I know. And in all honesty, Finn… you have far more reason to hate me than I could try to claim to hate you. If you're willing to let the past go, then there's no reason in the world for me to not do the same."

"Good. Because you're going to be seeing a lot of me, now. After all, I'm dating Hayley's friend Eve, so…"

"Wait! When did you guys make that official? I knew you were seeing a lot of her, but…"

Finn actually blushed. "We're not planning a wedding, or anything. But, I've moved to the bayou. Actually, the night before last. When Cami sent out that group text. Eve and I were together at the time, and it didn't take long for us to realize what was about to happen. We didn't know if it would be Elijah or Klaus, but we knew that one of my brothers was coming home. And…"

Elijah cut him off. "Do Hayley and I actually want to hear details about this?"

He laughed. "I don't know, do you? But that part is neither here nor there. We also talked. And realized that we had been given an opportunity that neither of us really expected. I don't know how to explain it. I'm not living with her, or anything. It's too soon for that. But, I wanted to be closer to her. So, I'm staying with Ansel and Henrik, right now. I'm sure that eventually that will change, too."

Elijah couldn't have heard that, right. "I'm sorry. Did you say Ansel and Henrik?"

"Yeah. Henrick is living with Ansel. I'll let him explain that. But now I'm there, too."

Elijah just nodded. And now Jackson's comment about him spending more time in the bayou with his brothers being there made more sense. Though, there was another question that all of this brought up. It hadn't occurred to him when he was watching Hayley's memories and saw her playing matchmaker, but suddenly he remembered that his older brother hadn't always been single. "Whatever happened to Sage?"

Finn shrugged. "I've seen her. But, our feelings for each other had changed. We're on amicable terms, but I'm kind of falling for Eve." He chuckled. "Who could have seen that coming? Well, besides Hayley, of course. Our resident hopeless romantic."

And then, there was another surprise. Though, really, Elijah shouldn't actually have been surprised. Jackson had warned him. And, of course Finn had just mentioned him, too. But, knowing that Henrik was around, and having him come barreling into Elijah's own living room were two very different things. "Elijah? Is it really you?"

"It's me, Henrik. It's me. How are you?" It was an extremely stupid question to ask. Did questions get any stupider? The boy had been dead for a thousand years.

"I'm good. I mean, it was weird at first. I didn't know many people here because of Qetsiya making that other afterlife for witches and werewolves. And I didn't go there, since I wasn't either. So, it was kind of lonely. But, I could watch you guys. And that was kind of cool. I… I saw what our parents did to you. And I watched you after that. But then, Hope was born, and the Other Side crumbled. And then there were people that I had watched that were around. Like Eve. And it wasn't as lonely, anymore. And when Ansel died again, he asked me to come live with him. So, I've been with him ever since."

"And do you see our mother at all?"

Henrik nodded. "She lives in Norway with Aunt Dahlia. I could have gone to live with her, but I liked Ansel, and I liked living in the bayou. I had made friends there. I mean, most of them are older than me. Well… I guess not really. Most of them were born long after me. But, I'm still twelve, really."

Elijah felt like his head was spinning. "Are you… are you happy?" Yes, Hayley had shown him Henrik at Freya's wedding. Exactly how he had forgotten about that by the time he had talked to Jackson was something he couldn't explain. Maybe it was just one thing to see him in a vision and something else entirely to be flat-out told that the boy was here and would want to see him. And being faced with Henrik himself was something Elijah couldn't have possibly prepared himself for.

"Yeah. I'm happy. Ansel and Hayley's pack are good people. You'll like them. I know you've met her parents. I like them a lot. They're really nice to me. Treat me like part of their family. I guess because I'm related to Hope. Anyway, we just wanted to come see you. I've missed you. And, I'm not glad that you're dead, but I'm glad that you're here. If that makes any sense?"

Elijah smiled. "Yeah. That makes perfect sense." He hugged his baby brother. "All right. I know where you are. And you know where I am. So, I'll see you later. Should I tell you to go play? Is that a thing, here?"

Henrik laughed. "Yeah, that's a thing here. Of course it is. I'm still a kid, after all." And then he was gone.

"Why do I not remember him being like that?"

Finn shrugged. "Because he wasn't really? He's much more flighty now than he used to be. Probably because in our time, even kids his age weren't really able to just be kids. And here, he can be. So, he is. In a way he never got the chance to in life. In that, I almost envy him."

"Yes, well. We may not have had real childhoods, like the one he's having, but there are certain things in our own lives and afterlives that certainly make up for that." And with that, he put his arm around Hayley and pulled her close.

Finn laughed. "There is that. Sex just might make up for not being able to redo our childhood. And on that note, I am going to get back to my girlfriend, and leave you to spend some time with yours. I understand you spent your afternoon talking to her ex-husband. And then we sprung ourselves on you. You could probably stand a chance to unwind a bit. I'll see you both around." And then he was gone, too. Leaving Elijah and Hayley alone.

Hayley pulled on Elijah's arms to loosen his hold on her, just enough to be able to move to be standing in front of him. "So, would you like to go upstairs and… 'unwind' for a bit?"

He laughed and tightened his hold on her, again. But then, something Henrik said finally clicked in his head. He felt his legs go weak at the realization, and pulled Hayley down to sit on the floor next to him. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths, trying to get himself under control.

When he opened his eyes again, Hayley was looking at him with concern. "You okay, there? What's wrong?"

"A thousand years, Hayley. It's been a thousand years."

Hayley just nodded, obviously not catching the implications. "I know. I know that seeing him again after all that time had to have been hard, but… isn't that one of the good things about being dead? Being reunited with the ones we've lost?"

He shook his head. "That's not… That's not what I mean. I mean… it's been a thousand years. And he wasn't a witch. Like my mother was."

He could see it in her eyes when she realized what he was saying. She put her hand to her mouth. "Oh my God."

Elijah nodded. "He was alone. For a thousand years. He's just a little boy. He's a twelve-year-old boy. And he was alone. For centuries. If the Other Side hadn't fallen, he'd still be alone. We'd be there. All of us. And he'd be here. On top of what they did to us, they robbed Henrik of his family. For a thousand years."

He felt Hayley's arms tighten around him. And then he was crying in her arms. "He was alone, Hayley. I can't imagine what that had to be like for him. This is supposed to be Heaven, and that little boy was all alone."

She didn't say anything. Not that there was really much to say, right now. There was nothing they could really do. They couldn't change the past. Couldn't undo the past thousand years. And so they sat there, on the living room floor, and held each other.

Eventually, Hayley stood up and pulled him up with her. She took his hand. "Come on. Let's get you to bed."

"Hayley…"

She just smiled. "We don't have to do anything. Not if you don't want to. Just let me hold you, okay? You've had a rough day, and you could use some comfort. Whatever form you want that comfort to take. If you want to be left alone, I'll take my old room, tonight. If you want me to hold you while you sleep, I'll be there. And if you want more than that, I'm certainly up for it. Whatever you need, Elijah. Just tell me what you need."

He took a shuddering breath. "Hold me?"

She smiled again. "Of course." And then she led him back to his bedroom, their bedroom. She dug around in his dresser drawers, and eventually held up a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt. She handed him the pajama pants and took the t-shirt into the bathroom.

As he got ready for bed, he couldn't help but smile at her sudden modesty. Because he knew what was behind it. It was her way of honoring his need to just hold her without doing anything else. He had to admit that if she had undressed in front of him, he probably would have been tempted to accept a very different kind of comfort from her. And he wasn't sure that was really what he needed, right now.

He got into bed, and when she joined him, he took her into his arms. He smiled when she kissed his forehead. He had done that to her so many times. He'd never been on the receiving end, before. It was nice, actually. And then he closed his eyes and lay there in her arms, just breathing in her scent. Until, eventually, he slept in her arms.


End file.
